Shipley Donuts Coming to Raleigh With New Franchise Deal

Founded 90 years ago in Houston, Shipley offers a wide variety of fresh, handmade-daily donuts, including its signature glazed donut, which is cut into its iconic hexagon shape then carefully glazed to sweet perfection.

At the heart of every Shipley shop is a working bakery, with bakers arriving at 3 a.m. to make the first batch of fresh donuts and kolaches. Guests can taste the difference with Shipley’s Hot Glazed Guarantee that offers glazed donuts served warm until 10 a.m. every day.

Shipley will also introduce Raleigh to its famous Texas kolaches (kuh-LAH-cheese), a savory handmade breakfast sandwich made with fresh dough and hearty fillings like sausage, egg, bacon and cheese baked right inside for a satisfying breakfast, lunch or snack.

"We look forward to sharing with Raleigh our 90-year tradition of doing things the old-fashioned way, expertly handcrafting everything we serve and making life delicious each day," said Shipley Donuts CEO Flynn Dekker. " Once our future Raleigh guests have a taste of our fresh, handmade daily donuts and famous savory kolaches, they'll understand why Shipley is a beloved Texas tradition."

Norman brings an unconventional but fitting background to donut ownership. After more than two decades working in service-intensive industries as a licensed cosmetologist and funeral director, Dana is channeling those same skills of compassion, attention to detail and community connection into serving up fresh donuts and kolaches every morning.

“I've spent my career taking care of people during life's biggest moments," said Norman. "Now I get to bring people together over something simple and joyful: a hot, fresh donut. Shipley's heritage and quality made it an easy choice for our first venture into foodservice.”

Shipley Donuts franchise opportunities are available throughout the South, Southeast and Midwest for operators seeking to join America’s fastest-growing donut and kolache brand. Additional information is available at ownashipleydonuts.com.

Founded in 1936, Houston-based Shipley Donuts is the nation's largest brand of fresh, handmade daily donuts and kolaches, with more than 390 franchised and company-owned restaurants across 13 states, serving up its famous donuts, coffee and kolaches to generations of guests. Shipley is ranked No. 134 on Entrepreneur magazine's Franchise 500® 2026 list and No.

1 in its category and is No. 142 on the Technomic 2026 Top 500. For franchising information, visit ownashipleydonuts.

For career changers and multi-unit owners, Shipley Donuts is the one donut franchise investment that's poised for fantastic growth. High-quality product and simple-to-run business model that drives a strong AUV.