#278 Did you know a major corporation operates Mister Donut?

Mister Donut originated in the US, not Japan.

In fact, Mister Donut was a brand born from an offshoot of America's Dunkin' Donuts. It was once so popular that it operated over 500 locations in the US, but its fate took a dramatic turn after being acquired by a certain company in the 1990s. The hosts are stunned to learn that today, only a single Mister Donut location remains in the entire United States.

It is operated in Japan by that famous cleaning service giant.

The reason Mister Donut became so deeply embedded in Japanese culture is thanks to Duskin, the company well-known for its cleaning services. The story began when the founder traveled to the US himself to sign a contract and bring the brand to Japan. Surprisingly, its rival Dunkin' Donuts also entered Japan at one point, leading to an unthinkable cross-industry rivalry between Duskin and Yoshinoya.

We discuss the mysterious path of a brand that took different roads in Japan and the US.

Why did Mister Donut, which almost disappeared in the US, become so beloved in Japan and grow to over 1,000 stores? It seems that Japan's unique strategies and a specific series of events played a role. The discussion gets even deeper, so please listen to the full episode to hear the rest.