CHICAGO Dunkin’ Donuts from a regional chain into a national brand while heading up a 13,000-unit franchise system that includes the Baskin-Robbins and Togo’s brands, won the 2007 Gold Plate Award for excellence and achievement in foodservice. —Jon L. Luther, who has led efforts to transform
Luther is chairman and chief executive of Dunkin’ Brands Inc., based in Canton, Mass., which defines its philosophy as “quick quality” rather than quick service. —Jon L. Luther, who has led efforts to transform
The winner of the coveted Gold Plate Award, presented annually by the International Foodservice Manufacturers Association during the National Restaurant Association show here, is chosen from among nine foodservice executives who have won the year’s Silver Plate Awards. —Jon L. Luther, who has led efforts to transform
Luther’s Silver Plate was in the category of chain fast service. —Jon L. Luther, who has led efforts to transform
The award recipients are the “best and the brightest, the innovators and leaders” in foodservice, said Dan Manning, west region vice president of Coca-Cola Foodservice and chairman of the IFMA Awards Committee. Picking a Gold Plate winner from among them was a challenge, he said. —Jon L. Luther, who has led efforts to transform
Accepting the award, Luther said there were only three others that would top the honor: father of the year, husband of the year and grandfather of the year. —Jon L. Luther, who has led efforts to transform
His acceptance speech was a tribute to foodservice veterans he has known through the years as well as his mentors, his family and friends, and franchisees and employees of Dunkin’ Brands. —Jon L. Luther, who has led efforts to transform
As he thanked each group individually he ended with the refrain, “No one gets here alone.” —Jon L. Luther, who has led efforts to transform
He singled out his wife, Sharon, for particular praise as the person who “saved my life.” —Jon L. Luther, who has led efforts to transform
The award was presented during IFMA’s 53rd annual Gold & Silver Plate Awards Celebration banquet. Former Gold Plate Award winners also attended. —Jon L. Luther, who has led efforts to transform
At a reception immediately after the banquet, Luther was surrounded by friends and colleagues, who congratulated him. He said he was “overwhelmed and humbled” and that winning the award left him almost speechless. —Jon L. Luther, who has led efforts to transform
“It’s such a great honor,” he said. —Jon L. Luther, who has led efforts to transform
His wife expressed similar feelings. —Jon L. Luther, who has led efforts to transform
“I feel proud, and I feel that he deserves it,” she said, adding that she hoped her comment didn’t sound boastful. “He’s worked very hard, and he’s a wonderful man.” —Jon L. Luther, who has led efforts to transform
In 2003, Luther joined Allied Domecq Quick Service Restaurants, which later changed its name to Dunkin’ Brands, as chief executive. Before that he was president of Popeyes Chicken & Biscuits, owned by Atlanta-based AFC Enterprises. He also had worked at such contract feeders as Aramark, Marriott, CA One Services and Benchmark Services, which he launched in the mid-1980s as an independent corporate-dining group. —Jon L. Luther, who has led efforts to transform
Dunkin’ Brands’ chains generated more than $6.4 billion in systemwide sales last year from wholly franchised systems comprising 13,000-plus outlets. The company’s doughnut brand is the largest with about 7,000 shops in 30 countries, including 5,300 in North America. Baskin-Robbins has about 5,600 ice cream shops, nearly half of them in the United States. The Togo’s sandwich chain has about 250 branches. —Jon L. Luther, who has led efforts to transform
Some 1,100 of the three chains’ locations have multiple Dunkin’ Brands concepts. —Jon L. Luther, who has led efforts to transform
Annual corporate revenues of the privately held company have been estimated to exceed $500 million. Last year’s Nation’s Restaurant News Second 100 report placed Dunkin’ Brands U.S. revenues for the year ended August 2005 at $205.7 million. —Jon L. Luther, who has led efforts to transform
Last spring Dunkin’ Donuts launched what it called the “most significant repositioning” in its history, with a focus on beverages under a marketing theme of “America Runs on Dunkin’.” —Jon L. Luther, who has led efforts to transform
The chain also announced plans to triple in size within 10 years, which would bring it to almost 15,000 domestic units and change it from what was once a regional New England chain into a national brand. —Jon L. Luther, who has led efforts to transform
To support that expansion and new-product development, Luther created a menu-and-concept team responsible for all facets of innovation to pursue his goal of delivering best-in-class products, convenience and value pricing under his “quick-quality” philosophy. —Jon L. Luther, who has led efforts to transform
Luther also was instrumental in developing Dunkin’ Brands’ first corporate social responsibility program, and he devised several fundraisers for education and disaster relief. —Jon L. Luther, who has led efforts to transform
He was cited for his financial leadership of Dunkin’ Brands and for creating a values-based culture for employees based on seven values: honesty, integrity, responsibility, humility, fairness, respectfulness and transparency. —Jon L. Luther, who has led efforts to transform
This year’s other Silver Plate Award recipients and their categories were: —Jon L. Luther, who has led efforts to transform
Susan Feniger, co-chef and co-owner of Border Grill Santa Monica, Border Grill Las Vegas, and Ciudad, in the independent restaurants category. —Jon L. Luther, who has led efforts to transform John M. Holeman, consolidated food manager for the Washington state Department of Corrections’ Monroe Correctional Complex in Monroe, Wash., for specialty foodservices. —Jon L. Luther, who has led efforts to transform Niki Leondakis, chief operating officer for Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, San Francisco, for hotels and lodging. —Jon L. Luther, who has led efforts to transform Pavel N. Matustik, chief administrative officer for the Santa Clarita Valley School Food Services Agency in Santa Clarita, Calif., for elementary and secondary schools. —Jon L. Luther, who has led efforts to transform M. Cameron Mitchell, president of Cameron Mitchell Restaurants, based in Columbus, Ohio, in the chain full-service category. —Jon L. Luther, who has led efforts to transform Rick Postiglione, chief executive of contract foodservices for Compass Group North America in Rye Brook, N.Y., for foodservice management. —Jon L. Luther, who has led efforts to transform H. Michael Rice, director of auxiliary services at Michigan State University, East Lansing, Mich., in the colleges and universities category. —Jon L. Luther, who has led efforts to transform Kris Schroeder, director of nutrition services at Swedish Medical Center, Seattle, for health care. —Jon L. Luther, who has led efforts to transform