… That part time job became the starting point for a young man looking to begin his own work history at the age of 16. Building a company may not have been the first thought of this young man starting his working career, however, the Dunkin’ brand and all it had to offer inspired this young entrepreneur to build a company founded on family values with the mission of becoming a company that offered others the opportunity to begin a career and grow alongside him.
He quickly learned other aspects of the business by observing the other employees and being ready to take on the next opportunity when the door opened. He offered to cover a baking shift one night when his manager needed help. By making sure that he was ready and willing to take the next challenge, he was promoted to a full-time baker position. While increasing his skills and becoming an expert baker, his next two steps helped to shape his life. A young lady that finished donuts caught his eye. Debby would turn out to be the love of his life, confidant, and strength through the years and became his wife in 1976.
Through earning his Associates in Business Management in ’72, then his Bachelors with a double major in Business Management & Marketing and a minor in Finance in 1974 from Southern New Hampshire University, Ed became particularly intrigued with the concept of franchising and wrote a term paper on it that he was very proud of, thus setting his sights on what his ultimate plan for the future could be.
Ed and Debby add onto their family with the birth of their daughter, Kim.
The Wolak Group’s success as a developer and operator of Dunkin’ restaurants has been accompanied by a successful history of acquiring and developing commercial real estate. Since 1983, most of our Dunkin’ restaurants have been opened on self-developed real estate. Most of the sites are standalone Dunkin’s, although several of our sites include multi-tenant buildings.
This partnership allowed all interested employees to earn a degree from an accredited college completely online. This is a unique program that allows employees to utilize their work experience to complete modules and master competencies that are equivalent to classroom work at their own pace with support from mentors at SNHU. This program was the first to be offered in the Dunkin’ Brands system and has served as an inspiration for other franchisees.
The CDC boasts a high-tech smart board, a 20-seat classroom, offices, and a conference room. It has a unique ability to tie classroom training into real store experience. There are many exciting ideas on how to continue to utilize this classroom option in the future.
The Wolak Group strives to deliver a great value to its customers and give them the fuel to keep them running throughout their day, but our primary focus remains the same, our employees. We are the big company that still feels like that small family run business from the past and that makes us smile.
