Shipley Donuts on track for 'record-setting' store expansion in 2025
Shipley Donuts is continuing to expand its footprint nationwide.
The Houston-based donut chain, which was acquired by a private equity firm earlier this year, has opened 25 new shops so far this year, including eight in the third quarter alone.
Openings in the third quarter included the company's highly-anticipated Nashville Yards location in September, which was the first Shipley opening by multi-unit, multi-brand franchisee Virentes Hospitality, which plans to open additional shops throughout Tennessee and Florida in the coming years. The brand also opened seven new shops throughout its home state of Texas in the quarter.
Shipley says it is on track to open a record-setting number of new shops in the fourth quarter, including in Alabama, Florida, Georgia and Texas. The brand estimates that by year's end, it could exceed the number of openings over 2024 by more than 60%. Over the summer, Shipley Donuts estimated that it would open more than 40 new stores this year.
"This has been a record-breaking year for our brand,” said Flynn Dekker, CEO of Shipley Donuts. “As we pick up our pace of new shop openings in new and existing markets, we're positioned to bring our fresh, handmade-daily donuts and kolaches to even more communities across the country. The momentum is real, and we're not slowing down."
In addition to new stores, Shipley Donuts launched its refreshed brand website in the third quarter. The updated site features the first AI-powered assistant that creates personalized order recommendations based on individual or group preferences.
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Founded in 1936, Shipley Donuts, known for handmade fresh daily donuts and kolaches, currently operates more than 385 locations across 14 states.
Levine Leichtman Capital Partners (LLCP) acquired the nearly 90-year-old coffee and donut chain from Peak Rock Capital earlier this year. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed, but Bloomberg reported that the deal could value the donut chain at $400 million.
