I fought Dunkin’ but ran out of dough
Hi. I’m Jerry.
It’s 1984, and it’s three in the morning. Burlington is sleeping, but the lights are on at my Donuts ‘n More, and the place smells delicious. I’m baking coffee rolls and fritters for Eastern Airlines. The goodies have to be at Logan for the first flight at 5 a.m. They’re still hot when I package them for the airport.
I started working at Mister Donut at 14 years old. When it went out of business, I reopened it and called it Donuts ‘n More.
This is absolutely a team effort. My family is here all the time. My contractor friends of mine come in at 5 a.m. and open the store for me, make sure the donuts are done. Friends run the cash register. It’s a community thing. I’ve never seen anything like it. People come out of the woodwork to help. Surprises the hell out of me. And I give back. I donate donuts and coffee to Burlington Pop Warner and the Ice Palace.
The bowling alley across the street gives me free bowling in exchange for food. A friend of mine, the manager, Billy Pascoe at the Bowl-A-Way Lanes — he puts in 20 frames for us, and we cover the food for them.
Don’t confuse me with the Jerry Ellis up the street at Building 19 ½, like the mailman did. He saw my name and automatically sent their mail down here to me. I called the other Jerry Ellis at Building 19 and we had a good laugh.
Don’t ask how — because the answer is very long and complicated — but somehow my Donuts ‘n More is operating right next to the Dunkin’ Donuts on Cambridge Street. Dunks has a bigger dining area and bigger parking lot and drive-through, but I’ve got a whole dream team of Burlington townies.
R.I.P. to both Jerry Ellises. The Building 19 Jerry Ellis died in 2017. Burlington’s Jerry Ellis died May 17, 2025. This article is based on his chat with Burlington Retro years ago. Looking back on his donut shop, he said, “It couldn’t be duplicated today. Too many restrictions on packing, labeling ingredients and so on. I didn’t even have a basement or a real storage room. This place was built on a slab foundation.” He opened shops in Ipswich ad Wilmington, but those towns didn’t have the local spirit of Burlington. Alas, Donuts ‘n More eventually lost out to Dunkin’ and became Donuts No More — literally. Some wise guy added a letter “o” to the sign after the place folded in 1988.
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I worked at Mister Donut from 1976-80. So did my sister, Anne, and brother, Dan. Owners Bob and Mac. Working third shift in the later years I got to “finish” the donuts– powder, cinnamon, jelly etc. First job other than babysitting and paper routes. Was sorry to see it go Donuts No More with the Dunkin next door. –Ellen Keohane
What was the name of the Donut shop that was inside the Burlington Mall in the 70″s? i worked there with my Mom.
Also Mister Donut. Was a satellite store Bob and Mac setup. I used to drive donuts from Cambridge St over to there in Mac’s jalopy station wagon.
Hi Ellie! This was my first job. I was terrible at it and got fired, but not before losing Anne’s bike to a thief outside the back door. Nevertheless, mister ds was a landmark. I never got to see DnM in its brief lifetime. It lasted about as long as Bosun’s Whistle across the street because of the impact of chains.
-Danny
I wasn’t going to mention that… 🙂
What a great story ! Born in Burlington, raised in California. Lived all over the US, now upstate Ny but will always consider Burlington my home town. with wonderful memories of my childhood on Muller Road. My father James C Piper was a selectman and had a Real Estate office and sold Mobile homes and Pools( Peter Piper Pools) in Billerica. Thanks for sharing your story.
Billy was my neighbor across the street Until he moved to dracut. I still am in touch with his granddaughter on a daily basis.
Good people
It was an absolute treat to have a donut from here . Simple things seem so far removed from childhood .
Loved to read this. I’m Billy Pascoe’s granddaughter. He raised me since the day I was born. Is there anyway I could speak with you? I’m just interested in hearing more about him in the past. Thank you so much for remembering him.
Loved Mr Donuts. Wasn’t there for successors.
Donuts N More was my first job at age 14. Jerry was a great boss, and gave me an opportunity to learn about working in the service industry. I hated greasing those muffin tins but now I’d love to be able to buy something that’s actually been baked on site from a donut shop!
To this day I remain angry at the citizens of Burlington for abandoning Donuts ‘n More for the corporate bully Dunkin’ Donuts who built right next door on purpose. My faith in humanity died a little along with that place.
McDonald’s and Burger King did it all the time
But that’s a battle of two faceless corporations.
I still don’t understand two donut shops. Next to each other.???????????
Sad.
We used to bring a dozen donuts from Mr Donut to my uncle in Maine. Best donuts. I left town around 75, I think it changed to Donuts N More after that. Shame on the town for allowing DD to build next door.
Very fond memories of Mister Donut, especially when working at Towne & Country Jewelers for my dad in the summer, and the first order of business every day after we opened was me walking down to get my dad’s coffee. Never could figure out how he drank it black… Mister Donut also gave me my first food addiction, donuts. I ate them by the dozen. I ate once in a while at Donuts ‘N More when I went home to visit. RIP, Jerry.
What was the name of the Donut Shop that was indside the Burlington Mall in the 70″s? I worked there (my first Job) with my Mom.
Jerry was such a great guy and neighbor!
Our Mom taught cake decorating for the rec dept in Burlington for years at the Pine Glen and Fox Hill schools and Jerry would donate buckets of frosting to her for the students to decorate their cakes!
He also ran a sports shop in the strip mall where Dale Pharmacy was by the Schoolhouse ice cream place.
Jerry was very well known and loved and will be missed!
So glad We saw each other a few years ago.
Fly high Jerry and hope all of you former Donald Road residents are throwing your own Donals Road Follies up there!!
My grandmother, who lived with us for the last two decades of her life, would buy a dozen doughnuts for us from Mister Donut every Saturday morning, even after the Dunkin Donuts opened, and even after Mister Donut became Donuts ‘N More (their French crullers were the best aywhere), so we could have something sweet to eat while watching cartoons until noon, when were kicked out of the house to play at Rahanis Park or the Mill Pond conservation area. I remember when the Dunkin went in, it must’ve been 1984 or 1985. My family went camping on Cape Cod for two weeks, when I left, they had just moved the Fotomat a hundred or so feet closer to the Winn/Cambridge St intersection and were preparing the site for new construction. When I got back the new building was almost complete. The competition between the two chains was soon to be moot, as Dunkin Donuts purchased all Mister Donut operations in United States and Canada a few years after the Burlington Dunkin opened. If you want a Mister Donut today, you can go to Japan or the Middle East, where the same chain is still in operation.
Billy Pascoe good friend, fine man and a great bowler, miss u man!!
Jerry and I graduated the same year. Several memorable moments occurred during those years of high school. Some of which will remain unspoken of. One that I will share was one night in the early 60s during the winter several of us gathered @ the shop. I counted over 15 of us packed inside. If I remember there were only about 10 maybe seats @ the counter. At one point a challenge was made between two present as to how many push ups could be accomplished. Don’t forget it was a time that Burlington HAD nothing to occupy our off time.
Rest in peace Jerry because I know you are not in pain any more.
I believe my mother, Sandra Getchell, known as Sandra Penno at the time, worked at Mr Donuts in high school!