Dunkin' Donuts

This home-state favorite has been serving up donuts and coffee since 1950. But lately, the brand has felt stale.

Two years ago, a group of private equity firms bought Dunkin' Donuts for $2.4 billion. The bankers quickly began pushing the brand to its limits, adding stores and selling the coffee in supermarkets.

In May, conservative pundits brewed up a storm over an ad featuring Rachael Ray. In the ad, the celebrity chef was pictured wearing what some said resembled a Muslim headscarf. Some right-wingers said the ad supported terrorism. Dunkin' Donuts execs pulled the ad.

In April, the last chain's original neon sign came down. Tellingly, Boston residents, prone to petitioning to save beloved icons, largely ignored the end of the 1950s landmark.