By Noah Kinnisten, Staff Writer
I’m sure everyone’s familiar with our local donut shop, Duck Donuts. But as it turns out, it’s not as local as it seems. What you may not know is now there are three Duck Donuts shops on the western coast of California.
The Outer Banks is home to six of these donut shops, but you would be shocked to know that there are actually over 220 Duck Donuts locations across the U.S.
The company itself was first opened in 2007, and until 2012, there were only four stores along the Outer Banks. Then the company started to blow up across the county and started to add stores left and right. By 2018, there were 222 stores.
In the summer of 2018, the company decided to branch out to the west coast, adding a store to Huntington Beach in California. Since then, two other stores have been added to Irvine and Encinitas.
“We are honored and excited to help expand the popular East Coast brand to the West Coast and look forward to sharing the experience of a warm, delicious and made-to-order donut with the Huntington Beach community,” Gary Kopel, owner of the Huntington Beach location said.
The first addition to the west coast needs to be received well, in order to add two other locations within 70 miles of each other.
Russ DiGilio, the founder of Duck Donuts is well respected for now owning the country’s fastest-growing donut shop.
“There was nowhere to get that sweet staple of happiness (on the Outer Banks) a warm, fresh donut,” DiGilio said in a story on the Duck Donuts website.
Some think it’s unfair that we have to share this staple donut shop and all of its glory with the entire country. Less than a decade ago, it was just a few small, family-owned businesses where Outer Banks locals could scarf down their delicious donuts.
Today, however, people nationwide enjoy this sweet breakfast every morning. I used to be shocked whenever I saw a Duck Donuts in a place like Virginia Beach or Raleigh. Yet, now it’s almost as normal as seeing a Krispy Kreme, one of the largest donut companies in the country.
Duck Donuts is the most creative donut chain ever. I mean, who would have ever thought to make a maple bacon donut. They are also one of the only donut chains that always make their donuts hot and fresh, while other companies’ donuts can taste stale, bland and just plain boring.
Even though all of us on the Outer Bank may be upset that we have to share our favorite donut shop with the world, it’s only fair that our nation can also get a taste of the deliciousness that only a Duck donut can provide.
Sophomore Noah Kinnisten can be reached at 22kinnistenno93@daretolearn.org.
