Edward “Ed” Wolak was 16 years old when he began what would turn into a successful career spanning nearly 50 years at Dunkin’. From his first job as a porter to becoming a general manager, to buying his first restaurant at the age of 23 and founding The Wolak Group – Ed’s is a true Dunkin’ success story.
“My success with Dunkin’ has provided me and my family with everything we desire,” says Ed. “But more importantly, it’s allowed us to share and help others.”
Today, The Wolak Group is an award-winning franchisee network that owns and operates 100 Dunkin’ locations and employs more than 2,100 team members across Maine, New Hampshire, and New York. “I’m proud to say that the majority of my employees have been with us for more than 10 years. In fact, there’s a few who started with me at my very first Dunkin’ nearly 50 years ago.”
As independent business owners, franchisees like Ed are not only job creators but also key investors in their communities. They are often driven to provide others with the same growth opportunities that have fueled their own success. For Ed, that includes helping others get the same early boost he received at Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU).
After graduating with a double major in Business Management and Marketing, Ed continued his SNHU relationship by serving as a Trustee for nine years. Through his long-term partnership, Ed launched an endowment in 2015 to provide tuition assistance that gives preference to student applicants who have restaurant experience.
SNHU now offers nationwide tuition reduction for online programs to Dunkin’ franchise owner network team members and their families, including The Wolak Group. Ed continues to partner with the university, including endowing The Wolak Career Learning Center at SNHU, which offers tutoring at no cost to students, and establishing The Wolak Learning Fellows Fund to improve student success by including trained undergraduate Learning Fellows in certain courses to achieve better undergraduate grades.
“Offering this pathway to success for our employees contributes to our culture of caring, even to those who haven’t yet chosen to take advantage of this opportunity,” says Ed.
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