Bess Eaton

Bess Eaton or Bess Eaton Management LLC is a small chain of coffee shops based in southern New England, often serving doughnuts, bagels, and muffins. The firm licensed the Bess Eaton trademark in 2011 from Wendy's, which had acquired the previous Bess Eaton chain out of bankruptcy in 2004. As of 2016, there are five locations stretching from Groton, Connecticut to Galilee, Rhode Island.

The Bess Eaton Donut Flour Company was founded in 1953 by Angelo (Bangy) Gencarelli Jr. and was known for its coffee and hand-cut donuts. The corporate headquarters were located in Westerly, Rhode Island, with up to 56 retail shops spread between Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Connecticut. At one time, it was Rhode Island's seventh largest private employer of 750 workers and 650 workers at the chain's sale. Throughout the chain's 50-year history, the company was privately held by the Gencarelli family. In the last year of operations, the firm was focusing on wholesale business and non-store locations to boost profits, but ultimately was sold to Tim Hortons of Canada. Leading up to the company's sale, then CEO, Louis A. Gencarelli, Sr., made headlines printing Biblical scripture verses on the company's cups and product packaging.

In its last decade of operation, the Bess Eaton Donut Flour Company faced many internal difficulties including problems with its financial records. As a result, the firm sold its retail division in mid-2004 following bankruptcy litigation. With a reported $35 million bid, the fast-food chain Wendy's International Corporation prevailed over the Dunkin' Donuts chain in their competition to purchase the 48 defunct Bess Eaton stores and other assets. Within two months of acquisition, Wendy's had converted 42 of those stores to their Tim Hortons brand. In conjunction with the sale, Bess Eaton closed its production facility and corporate headquarters. Wendy's sold Tim Hortons in 2006, but kept ownership of the Bess Eaton trademark.