Shipley Do-nuts
Shipley Do-Nuts is a Houston-based QSR franchisor founded in 1936, operating 390+ locations across 13 states selling handmade donuts and kolaches through company-owned stores, franchisees, online ordering, and catering under Levine Leichtman Capital Partners ownership.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1936
- HeadquartersHouston, United States
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Shipley Do-nuts does
Shipley Do-Nuts, founded in 1936 in Houston by Lawrence Shipley Sr., operates the largest handmade donut and kolache quick-service restaurant chain in the United States, with 390+ franchised and company-owned locations across 13 states. The core product platform centers on over 60 SKUs of hand-cut yeast donuts (glazed, iced, filled, cake), handmade savory kolaches with fillings such as bacon/egg/cheese and sausage/jalapeño/cheese, specialty rolls, and coffee beverages, supported operationally by a systemwide Hot Glazed Guarantee that has bakers starting at 3 a.m. daily. The technology stack is a cloud-native QSR platform built from near-zero in 2020, integrating AI-powered online ordering, a Shipley Rewards loyalty program (5 points per $1) on iOS and Android, and unified operations that drove a 24% lift in digital checks across the franchise system.
The business model combines company-owned retail, franchise royalties and fees, and franchise support services. Franchise economics, per the 2026 FDD, show the top 50% of locations achieving a $1.2M average unit volume with 20% EBITDA, at a $40K franchise fee, $750K minimum net worth, and $520K-$856K total estimated investment. The company reported $320M in system-wide sales in 2024 and is in active geographic expansion, with new multi-unit deals signed in 2026 to enter Las Vegas, New Orleans, Atlanta, Dallas-Fort Worth, and Ohio (as the 14th state). Ownership is private equity-backed: Levine Leichtman Capital Partners acquired the company from Peak Rock Capital in July 2025 in a deal reportedly valued at $400 million, with the existing executive team led by CEO Flynn Dekker continuing to manage operations.
Shipley Do-nuts firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Shipley Do-nuts
- Legal name
- Shipley Do-Nuts
- Website
- https://shipleydonuts.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1936
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- Shipley Do-Nuts is a Houston-based QSR franchisor founded in 1936, operating 390+ locations across 13 states selling handmade donuts and kolaches through company-owned stores, franchisees, online ordering, and catering under Levine Leichtman Capital Partners ownership.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Shipley Do-nuts industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Quick-Service Restaurant (Donuts & Kolaches)
- NAICS
- Limited-Service Restaurants (722513), Baked Goods Retailers (445291)
- SIC
- Bakery Products (2050)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Donut Shops (THAFAGAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Breakfast-to-Go (Breakfast Sandwiches, Parfaits, Oatmeal) (CRAHAKAG), Prepared Foods & Catering-Focused Specialty Stores (CRAHAGAM)
Keywords
Where Shipley Do-nuts is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Houston
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Shipley Do-nuts business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Company-Owned Store Sales: Shipley operates a number of company-owned restaurants that generate revenue from direct donut, kolache, and beverage sales to walk-in and online customers.
- Franchise Royalties and Fees: Shipley generates revenue from franchisees through initial franchise fees ($40K per location) and ongoing royalties based on franchise sales. The top 50% of locations achieve a $1.2M AUV with 20% EBITDA, and the company reports 190+ locations under commitment.
- Franchise Real Estate and Support Services: Shipley provides franchisees with access to preferred vendor relationships, shared resources, and a streamlined operating system, contributing to franchisee success and brand consistency.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Individual donut pricing — standard varieties |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Franchise investment costs |
| Freemium | Monthly | Shipley Rewards loyalty program — free to join |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels7 records
Shipley Do-nuts product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Shipley Do-nuts manufactures and retails fresh, hand-cut donuts and kolaches through a network of 390+ franchised and company-owned quick-service restaurants across 13 U.S. states, complemented by online ordering, a mobile app, catering for groups and events, a branded merchandise store, and a franchise program selling multi-unit development rights. Core SKUs span classic glazed donuts, filled/iced/sugar/cake varieties, hand-cut kolaches, donut holes, specialty rolls, and a coffee-and-beverage lineup.
Product overview
Shipley Do-Nuts operates as a quick-service restaurant franchise offering freshly made donuts and kolaches. The core product portfolio centers on hand-cut yeast donuts (with over 60 varieties including glazed, iced, filled, and cake styles), savory kolaches (filled with combinations like bacon/egg/cheese, sausage, and jalapeno), specialty rolls (apple fritters, cinnamon rolls), and beverages (coffee, cold brew, juices). The company operates 390+ franchised and company-owned locations across 13+ states, with recent product innovations including limited-time offerings like Patriotic Packs, Kolache Dippers with dipping sauce, and seasonal heart-shaped and themed donuts. The business model includes a loyalty rewards program (Shipley Rewards) and franchise opportunities with $520K-$856K investment requirements.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Classic Glazed Donuts Signature flagship product - light, fluffy, golden-brown, hand-cut yeast donuts topped with classic glaze, served hot as the brand's iconic offering since 1936.
- Shipley Box Assortment Fan-favorite assortment box featuring a mix of Classic Glazed, Chocolate Iced, Chocolate Sprinkles, Strawberry Sprinkles, and White Sprinkles donuts, available in dozen or half-dozen.
- Sampler Box Assortment Variety assortment box featuring one of each of the most beloved flavors and fillings including Classic Glazed, Chocolate Iced, Bavarian Filled, Chocolate Filled, Cream Filled, and more.
- Kolaches Savory pastries made with Shipley's iconic kolache dough filled with combinations including Bacon/Egg/Cheese, Sausage/Egg/Cheese, Sausage/Jalapeno/Cheese, Ham & Cheese, and Boudin; handmade and fresh-baked in-house daily.
- Filled Donuts Glazed donuts hand-filled with sweet fillings including Chocolate, Bavarian, Boston Cream, Cream, Lemon, Cherry, Apple, Strawberry, Raspberry, Blueberry, Chocolate Cream, and Devil's Food.
- Iced & Sugar Donuts Yeast donuts topped with chocolate, cherry, strawberry, white, maple, cinnamon sugar, plain sugar, or sugar-white icings and coatings, including Coconut and Walnuts specialty toppings.
- Cake Donuts Cake batter donuts in varieties including Plain Cake, Glazed Plain Cake, Buttermilk Cake, Glazed Buttermilk Cake, Blueberry Cake, Blueberry Glazed Cake, and Chocolate Iced Cake.
- Specialty Rolls Assorted specialty pastries including Apple Fritter, Bear Claw, Cinnamon Roll, Glazed Cinnamon Twist, Chocolate Iced Twist, Filled Bar Bavarian, and Butterfly Roll.
- Coffee & Beverages Hot and cold beverages including Regular Coffee, Cold Brew Coffee, Hot Chocolate, Vanilla Cappuccino, Milk, Orange Juice, Apple Juice, and 96oz Coffee To-Go.
- Donut Holes Mini donut pieces including Classic Glazed Donut Holes and Chocolate Glazed Donut Holes, sold in 12-piece orders.
- Patriotic Pack Limited-Edition Donuts Limited-edition patriotic-themed donut package featuring red, white, and blue iced yeast donuts topped with festive sprinkles, celebrating America's 250th birthday; available in dozen or half-dozen boxes.
- Kolache Dippers with Rowdy Ranch Sauce Bite-sized kolache snacks served with Rowdy Ranch dipping sauce, the company's first-ever kolache dipping sauce, targeting trends toward bite-sized snacks and ranch dipping sauces.
- Lucky Dozen Heart-Shaped Donuts Seasonal Valentine's Day-themed heart-shaped donuts made from classic yeast donuts, hand-cut into hearts with strawberry, cherry, or chocolate icing and themed sprinkles.
- Heart-Shaped Valentine's Donuts Seasonal Valentine's Day treats made from classic yeast donuts hand-cut into hearts with strawberry, cherry, or chocolate icing and themed sprinkles.
- Cold Brew Donut Cold brew-flavored donut containing 56mg of caffeine, launched for National Coffee Day 2025.
- Catering Services Catering service for groups offering donuts and kolaches in customizable quantities for work events, school events, gatherings, and office breakfasts, available at all store locations via a dedicated online platform.
- Shipley Do-Nuts Franchise Franchise opportunity with top 50% of locations achieving $1.2M AUV with 20% EBITDA; franchise fee of $40K, minimum net worth of $750K, minimum liquid assets of $225K, and total estimated investment of $520K to $856K.
- Shipley Rewards Loyalty Program Free-to-join customer loyalty program offering 5 points per $1 spent, free donuts for signup, birthday and anniversary rewards, and tiered perks (Glazed, Filled, Iced, Sprinkles tiers) including free kolaches, exclusive merchandise, and VIP rewards, managed via the Shipley mobile app.
- Shipley Merchandise (Swag) Branded merchandise including t-shirts, hoodies, sweatshirts, bike jerseys, and accessories featuring Shipley logos and branding.
- Dozen Classic Glazed Donuts Packaged box of twelve famous glazed donuts for take-home or sharing occasions.
- Split Box Assortment Combination box pairing Chocolate Iced and Classic Glazed donuts, available in half or full dozen.
Quantifiable outcome
- Top 50% of locations achieve $1.2M AUV with 20% EBITDA (2026 FDD)
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Shipley Do-nuts
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Shipley Do-nuts technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability1 record
Feature4 records
Shipley Do-nuts partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Koelache Co. LLCcoreKoelache Co. LLC, led by Houston-based entrepreneurs Don and Kat Koetting along with Don's parents Fred and Lisa Koetting, signed a three-unit franchise agreement to bring Shipley Do-Nuts to Ohio for the first time. The first Cincinnati location is targeted for Q1 2027, with two additional stores planned by 2029. The deal is part of Shipley's broader growth strategy targeting the South, Southeast, and Midwest.
- Four Multi-Unit Franchise Development Groups (Las Vegas, New Orleans, Atlanta, Dallas-Fort Worth)coreShipley signed four multi-unit franchise development agreements to open 14 new locations across Las Vegas, New Orleans, Atlanta, and Dallas-Fort Worth, marking the brand's first presence in Nevada. The agreements represent the company's push into key high-growth markets beyond its traditional Southern footprint.
- Mid-Atlantic Do-NutscoreMid-Atlantic Do-Nuts, co-founded by cousins Brian Lemek and John Egan, signed a 25-unit development agreement in 2022 to open stores throughout Maryland and Virginia. The company opened its first unit in early 2023 and has since opened three Maryland locations. Mid-Atlantic locations report higher AUVs than units in the Houston home base, serving as a case study for successful market expansion.
Scale indicators15 records
Recent moves10 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Shipley Do-nuts competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Krispy Kreme: Krispy Kreme is a publicly-traded global donut QSR chain with both company-owned and franchised/licensed locations. Like Shipley, it sells glazed donuts as a flagship product and serves the breakfast and snacking occasions through walk-in storefronts, making it the closest large-scale comparable on product and distribution model.
- Dunkin' (Inspire Brands): Dunkin' is the largest U.S. donut and coffee QSR chain, operating primarily as a franchise system serving breakfast and morning snack occasions. It competes directly with Shipley for the same morning donut/breakfast occasion and shares the franchise-led unit growth model.
- Duck Donuts: Duck Donuts is a U.S. donut franchise chain specializing in made-to-order donuts sold fresh to consumers. It runs a franchised multi-unit expansion model targeting non-traditional geographies, sharing Shipley's franchise-based growth model and franchise-friendly unit economics.
- Daylight Donuts: Daylight Donuts is a regional donut franchise chain headquartered in Texas with multi-unit franchise operations across the South and Midwest. It overlaps directly with Shipley's geography, product mix (fresh handmade donuts), and franchise-led business model, making it one of the most comparable peers.
- Honey Dew Donuts: Honey Dew Donuts is a regional donut and breakfast QSR chain with company-owned and franchised locations, primarily in the Northeast. It is comparable to Shipley as a multi-format donut chain operating in a defined regional cluster with a fresh-made product focus and similar breakfast daypart.
Broad incumbents
- Tim Hortons (US): Tim Hortons is a large, well-established North American breakfast QSR chain with donuts, coffee, and breakfast sandwiches as core menu items. While broader than Shipley and oriented around coffee, it competes for the same morning occasion and serves as an incumbent competitor in any U.S. market where Shipley expands.
Emerging players
- Voodoo Doughnut: Voodoo Doughnut is an artisan/ novelty donut chain with a growing footprint of company-owned and franchised locations. It overlaps with Shipley on the donut product category and walk-in retail model but competes through premium novelty positioning rather than Shipley's daily QSR, kolache-led offering.
- Top Pot Doughnuts: Top Pot Doughnuts is a Pacific Northwest-based specialty donut and coffee retail chain with a small but growing footprint. It overlaps with Shipley on the premium handmade donut category and shares customer overlap in the morning coffee-and-donut occasion, though it is much smaller and not franchise-led.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Shipley Do-nuts social profiles
Digital presenceShipley Do-nuts financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Shipley Do-nuts leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Shipley Do-nuts funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Shipley Do-nuts M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Shipley Do-nuts
What does Shipley Do-nuts do?
Shipley Do-nuts manufactures and retails fresh, hand-cut donuts and kolaches through a network of 390+ franchised and company-owned quick-service restaurants across 13 U.S. states, complemented by online ordering, a mobile app, catering for groups and events, a branded merchandise store, and a franchise program selling multi-unit development rights. Core SKUs span classic glazed donuts, filled/iced/sugar/cake varieties, hand-cut kolaches, donut holes, specialty rolls, and a coffee-and-beverage lineup.
Is Shipley Do-nuts a public or private company?
Shipley Do-nuts is a private company. It is classified as private equity controlled and is currently operating.
When was Shipley Do-nuts founded?
Shipley Do-nuts was founded in 1936. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is Shipley Do-nuts based?
Shipley Do-nuts is headquartered in Houston, United States, in the North America region.
How does Shipley Do-nuts make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Company-Owned Store Sales are the primary driver. The others are franchise Royalties and Fees and franchise Real Estate and Support Services.
Who are Shipley Do-nuts's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Krispy Kreme, Dunkin' (Inspire Brands), Duck Donuts, Daylight Donuts and Honey Dew Donuts. Tim Hortons (US) is listed as a broad incumbent. Emerging players are Voodoo Doughnut and Top Pot Doughnuts.
Does Shipley Do-nuts have an API?
No public API is recorded for Shipley Do-nuts.
What industry is Shipley Do-nuts in?
Shipley Do-nuts's product category is Quick-Service Restaurant (Donuts & Kolaches). Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFAGAE, Donut Shops, with a secondary code of CRAHAKAG, Breakfast-to-Go (Breakfast Sandwiches, Parfaits, Oatmeal). Its NAICS code is 722513 and its SIC code is 2050.