The Rolling Donut

What The Rolling Donut does

The Rolling Donut is a Dublin-based specialty bakery that produces and sells handcrafted sourdough and vegan donuts, marketed under "The Original Donuts In Dublin Since 1978" positioning. Founded in 1978 by Michael Quinlan as a market stall and operating a kiosk on O'Connell Street since 1988, the business was re-anchored in 2016 by his daughter Lisa Quinlan, who developed the sourdough and vegan recipes that define the current product line. All donuts, fillings, and toppings are made fresh daily in a centralised bakery in west Dublin (Unit 3 Oak Court, Oak Road, Dublin 12) and distributed to the retail footprint.

The core product range comprises boxed assortments of Large Sourdough (Box of 12, €36), Midi Sourdough (Box of 20, €52), Ring Donuts (Box of 12, €32), and Large Vegan Donuts (Box of 12, €34), with extension modules covering personalised logos, special occasions (e.g., birthdays, weddings, communions), football team themes, and a coffee break combo. The company sells through seven retail locations in Dublin and Kildare — including flagship stores on O'Connell Street and South King Street, plus a kiosk on O'Connell Street Lower and outlets in Swords Pavilions, Liffey Valley, and Kildare Village — together with a direct-to-consumer e-commerce site offering next-day delivery across County Dublin on orders placed by 5pm. A secondary B2B channel serves weddings, corporate events, and party catering with custom branding and donut display stand rentals, and gift cards are sold via Voucher Connect.

The revenue model is one-time purchase across all streams (retail boxes, events catering, gift cards, merchandise), with pay-as-you-go per-box pricing and a flat €5 Dublin delivery fee. Operations are family-owned, with no external investment, no subsidiaries, and no disclosed funding. The company is registered as The Rolling Donut Ltd, a private Irish limited company, and is privately held with Lisa Quinlan as owner and a team of 101–250 employees.

Name

The Rolling Donut

Legal name

The Rolling Donut Ltd

Website

https://therollingdonut.ie

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The Rolling Donut is a Dublin-based, family-owned specialty bakery that produces handcrafted sourdough and vegan donuts daily from a single west Dublin bakery and sells them through seven retail stores across Dublin and Kildare, plus online delivery and a B2B events catering service.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Artisan Bakery & Specialty Donuts

NAICS

Baked Goods Retailers (445291), Retail Bakeries (311811)

SIC

Bakery Products (2050)

akta.pro primary industry

Donut Shops (THAFAGAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

DTC Bakery & Desserts Delivery (AFAIANAF), Bread & Pastry Specialty Stores (CRAHAGAC)

Keywords

• Artisan donut bakery
• Sourdough donuts
• Vegan donuts
• Event catering service
• Gourmet pastries

Headquarters

HQ city

Dublin

HQ country

Ireland

HQ region

Europe

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Retail Donut Sales: One-time purchase of handcrafted sourdough and vegan donuts sold in boxes of various sizes (12 or 20 donuts). Products include best sellers, football team themed, special occasions, personalised, and vegan options. Revenue generated through physical stores and online ordering with delivery.
2. Corporate and Wedding Catering: Gourmet sourdough donuts for parties, work events, and weddings with donut display stands available for rental. Includes customisation with logos, custom coloured glaze, and individually boxed options.
3. Gift Cards: Gift vouchers sold through a third-party provider (Voucher Connect), functioning as corporate gifts or personal gifts.
4. Merchandise: Official Rolling Donut merchandise including apparel and accessories.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Rolling Donut produces and sells handcrafted gourmet sourdough and vegan donuts made fresh daily at its west Dublin bakery, selling boxes of 12 or 20 donuts through 7 retail stores in Dublin and Kildare and an online store with delivery across County Dublin. The business also offers weddings and corporate event catering with custom-branded donuts, donut display stand rentals, gift cards, and branded merchandise.

Product overview

The Rolling Donut is a specialty donut bakery offering handcrafted sourdough and vegan donuts made fresh daily in Dublin. The product portfolio consists of boxed donut offerings across multiple sizes (Large and Midi) and dietary options (standard and vegan), with customization capabilities for personal branding and special occasions. Core products include Large Sourdough Donuts (Box of 12), Midi Sourdough Donuts (Box of 20), Ring Donuts (Box of 12), and Large Vegan Donuts (Box of 12). The offering extends to personalization modules (Personalised Large/Midi Sourdough), themed boxes (Football Team, Special Occasions, Birthday), and combination products (Coffee Break Combo, Special Occasion Coffee Break Combo). Additional services include gift cards, weddings and corporate events catering with donut display rentals, delivery service (€5 within Co. Dublin), and store collection. The company operates 7 retail stores across Dublin and Kildare, with next-day delivery and collection options for online orders.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Large Sourdough Donuts (Box of 12) Classic box of 12 gourmet handcrafted sourdough donuts with 12 unique flavor selections, sold to individual consumers across Dublin and Kildare retail stores and online.
• Midi Sourdough Donuts (Box of 20) Box of 20 midi sourdough donuts, two each of 10 unique flavors, priced at €52, targeting parties and group occasions.
• Ring Donuts (Box of 12) Box of 12 handcrafted gourmet sourdough ring donuts featuring 5 varieties (Sugar Ring, Cinnamon Sugar, Vanilla with Sprinkles, Vanilla Glaze, Chocolate Glaze), priced at €32.
• Large Vegan Donuts (Box of 12) Box of 12 vegan sourdough donuts with 9 flavors including Lemon & Poppy, Raspberry Jam, Ferrero Rocher, and Coffee & Walnut, priced at €34, for consumers seeking plant-based options.
• Vegan Midi Sourdough Donuts (Box of 20) Box of 20 mixed vegan sourdough donuts targeting parties, birthdays, food events, and celebrations where plant-based catering is required.
• Coffee Break Combo Mix and match box of 6 handcrafted sourdough donuts sized for office coffee breaks and small meetings.
• Gift Cards Digital gift vouchers sold through Voucher Connect, usable as corporate gifts, team appreciation rewards, raffle prizes, or personal gifts.
• Weddings & Corporate Events Catering Full-service catering for weddings, parties, and corporate events including donut displays (Lazy Suzie, tiered stands, donut walls, folded stands), custom logo or coloured glaze branding, and delivery within County Dublin with a €100 deposit on all stands.
• Official Rolling Donut Merchandise Official branded merchandise including apparel and accessories sold through the Rolling Donut website.
• Home Delivery Service (Co. Dublin) Home delivery service covering all of County Dublin, 7 days a week, with a €5 flat delivery fee and next-day delivery on orders placed before 5pm.

Quantifiable outcome

• 40+ years in business
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Shipley Do-Nuts: Shipley Do-Nuts is a long-established US donut chain combining retail storefronts with wholesale distribution. It is comparable to The Rolling Donut as a multi-store donut operator but operates a broader, less premium, more mass-market menu.
• Dunkin': Dunkin' (formerly Dunkin' Donuts) is the dominant global donut and coffee chain offering a broad breakfast menu at scale. It overlaps with Rolling Donut on donut and coffee-adjacent occasions but competes on volume, value tier, and distribution breadth rather than handcrafted artisan positioning.
• Tim Hortons: Tim Hortons is a major North American donut and coffee chain with broad menu and high-frequency customer base. It is comparable as a donut-led retail/cafe concept but competes on volume, price, and convenience rather than handcrafted artisan donuts.

Direct peers

• Voodoo Doughnut: Voodoo Doughnut is a specialty/artisan donut chain known for bold flavours, handcrafted production, and a distinctive cult brand, mirroring The Rolling Donut's premium handcrafted positioning and willingness to lead with unconventional flavours and creative toppings.
• Top Pot Doughnuts: Top Pot Doughnuts is a handcrafted donut retailer operating multiple neighbourhood stores with strong brand identity, analogous to Rolling Donut's combination of in-house bakeries, multiple physical stores, and donut-only menu.
• Krispy Kreme: Krispy Kreme is the most directly comparable global donut chain, offering handcrafted sweet-yeast donuts through both retail stores and DTC delivery. Like The Rolling Donut it competes on freshness and brand-led premium positioning rather than commodity bakery pricing, though it operates at far greater scale globally.
• Duck Donuts: Duck Donuts is a franchise-based donut chain specialising in made-to-order, customizable donuts, closely analogous to Rolling Donut's personalised logo, special occasion, and themed boxes that let customers co-create the product.
• Stan's Donuts: Stan's Donuts is a multi-location gourmet donut and coffee concept built on handcrafted artisan production with rotating flavours, directly comparable to The Rolling Donut's small-batch sourdough-led range and cafe-style retail experience.
• J.CO Donuts: J.CO Donuts is an Asian-origin gourmet donut and coffee chain built on premium handcrafted donuts with a strong cafe experience, very similar in positioning to The Rolling Donut's blend of artisan donuts and in-store consumption.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/TheRollingDonut
• Facebookfacebook.com/therollingdonut
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-rolling-donut

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Rolling Donut