Duck Donuts is an American
doughnut
A doughnut or donut () is a type of food made from leavened fried dough. It is popular in many countries and is prepared in various forms as a sweet snack that can be homemade or purchased in bakeries, supermarkets, food stalls, and fran ...
shop chain based in
Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania
Mechanicsburg is a borough in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. The borough is eight miles (13 km) west of Harrisburg. It is part of the Harrisburg–Carlisle metropolitan statistical area. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 8,981 ...
. Duck Donuts was founded in 2006 in
Duck, North Carolina
Duck is a town in Dare County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 746. During the peak vacation season, starting after Memorial Day, the population increases to over 20,000. Duck is the northernmost incorp ...
, by Russ DiGilio and Robin Griffith, and has since expanded to over 100 locations in the United States (as of November 2022). The chain's products include customizable, made-to-order doughnuts, other baked goods, and a range of beverages.
History and operations

Headquartered at 6230 Carlisle Pike in Hampden Township, near
Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania
Mechanicsburg is a borough in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. The borough is eight miles (13 km) west of Harrisburg. It is part of the Harrisburg–Carlisle metropolitan statistical area. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 8,981 ...
,
Duck Donuts was founded in 2006 by Russell "Russ" DiGilio, who saw a need for "warm, fresh, made-to-order doughnuts", and Robin Griffith. Both natives of Delaware County, Pennsylvania, the duo met in 1992 while working in the assisted living
An assisted living residence or assisted living facility (ALF) is a housing facility for people with disabilities or for adults who cannot or who choose not to live independently. The term is popular in the United States, but the setting is si ...
industry.
Prior to Duck Donuts, there were no doughnut shops in North Carolina's Outer Banks
The Outer Banks (frequently abbreviated OBX) are a string of barrier islands and spits off the coast of North Carolina and southeastern Virginia, on the east coast of the United States. They line most of the North Carolina coastline, separating ...
.[ The first Duck Donuts shop was opened in Duck, North Carolina, from which the chain got its name, followed by a second location in Kitty Hawk. The third and fourth Duck Donut shops were opened in ]Corolla
Corolla may refer to:
*Corolla (botany), the petals of a flower, considered as a unit
*Toyota Corolla, an automobile model name
* Corolla (headgear), an ancient headdress in the form of a circlet or crown
* ''Corolla'' (gastropod), a genus of moll ...
and Kill Devil Hills
Kill Devil Hills is a town in Dare County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 7,633 at the 2020 census, up from 6,683 in 2010. It is the most populous settlement in both Dare County and on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. The K ...
respectively.
For half a decade, Duck Donuts was limited to the Outer Banks, but after receiving numerous inquiries about franchising, DiGiglio finally decided to establish the Duck Donuts Franchising Company; the first franchise location was opened in Williamsburg, Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the East Coast of the United States, Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography an ...
, in 2013. Thereafter, the franchise began expanding to other states including Florida, New Jersey, and Georgia.[ According to a July 2018 ''Franchising.com'' article, there are "69 open franchise locations 140 additional contracts in 23 states and two countries". In May 2018, Duck Donuts opened its first New York location in Hauppauge, and two months later in July they opened their inaugural West Coast location in Huntington Beach, California. In December 2018, it had expanded to Minnesota with a ]Woodbury Woodbury may refer to:
Geography
Antarctica
*Woodbury Glacier, a glacier on Graham Land, British Antarctic Territory
Australia
*Woodbury, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
England
* Woodbury, Bournemouth, an area in Dorset
*Woodbury, East Devon ...
location. By June 2020 Duck Donuts expanded, opening their first location in Bayamón, Puerto Rico, and in September 2020 the company opened its first store in Dubai
Dubai (, ; ar, دبي, translit=Dubayy, , ) is the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the capital of the Emirate of Dubai, the most populated of the 7 emirates of the United Arab Emirates.The Government and Politics ...
, UAE
The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia (The Middle East). It is located at th ...
. That store in Dubai was closed later on.
Charitable contributions and services
In March 2017, Duck Donuts announced its collaboration with the Nashville-based nonprofit organization Gabe's Chemo Duck Program for children with cancer, and raised some $75,000 in September via its countrywide "Quack Gives Back" initiative.
Products
Duck Donuts' menu predominantly comprises doughnuts, sandwiches, coffee, and desserts. The cake doughnuts at Duck Donuts are made-to-order and customizable, with topping options including chopped bacon and peanuts. The entire doughnut-making process is automated using doughnut makers from Belshaw Adamatic. Among the four kinds of breakfast sandwiches sold by Duck Donuts[ is the OBX, which is described as "a sliced doughnut with egg, cheese, sausage or bacon and topped with maple drizzle and chopped bacon". Duck Donuts' dessert selection includes doughnut sundaes made with ]Breyers
Breyers is a brand of ice cream started in 1866 by William A. Breyer in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
History
In 1866, William A. Breyer began to produce and sell iced cream in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, first from his home, and later via hor ...
ice cream.
See also
* List of restaurant chains in the United States
The following is a list of notable restaurant chains in the United States.
Asian/Pacific
Baked goods
Beef
Beverages
Chicken
Frozen desserts
Hamburgers
Hot dogs
Mexican/Tex-Mex
Pizza/Italian
Salad/vegetarian ...
* List of fast food restaurant chains
The following is a list of notable current and former fast food restaurant chains, as distinct from fast casual restaurants (see List of casual dining restaurant chains), coffeehouses (see List of coffeehouse chains), ice cream parlors (see List ...
References
External links
*
*
{{coord missing, North Carolina
Restaurants established in 2006
2006 establishments in North Carolina
Bakeries of the United States
Doughnut shops in the United States
Companies based in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania
Restaurants in North Carolina
Restaurants in New York (state)
Restaurants in Virginia
Restaurants in Ohio
Coffeehouses and cafés in the United States