HUNTSVILLE, Ala — Shipley Do-Nuts, a restaurant chain selling, of course, donuts, as well as other pastries and baked goods, is looking for franchisees wanting to help the company expand its footprint in the Alabama area.
Currently, the chain only has one Alabama outlet, in Hoover, and more than 300 across the South. In a recently-announced franchise offering, Shipley's is looking to expand in as many as 31 communities, including:
- Alabaster
- Albertville
- Anniston
- Athens
- Auburn
- Bessemer
- Birmingham
- Daphne
- Decatur
- Dothan
- Enterprise
- Fairhope
- Foley
- Florence
- Gadsden
- Helena
- Homewood
- Huntsville
- Madison
- Mobile
- Montgomery
- Mountain Brook
- Northport
- Opelika
- Oxford
- Pelham
- Phenix City
- Prattville
- Trussville
- Tuscaloosa
- Vestavia Hills
According to their corporate history, Shipley has its roots in Texas, and in the company's 80+ years of business, they have served millions of donuts, rolls, and kolaches (think 'pigs-in-a-blanket').
Shipley estimates the initial buy-in for a potential franchisee is between $655,000 and $1.4 million based on location, store size, and other factors. Franchisees also pay monthly royalties to the company for things like marketing, boxes and other printed material, based off of gross sales.
The chain wants to double the number of operating stores to about 600 by 2027.
Shipley's expansion plans come as the Huntsville-Madison metro area has seen a number of well-established chains make their first North Alabama appearances in recent years, ranging from Slim Chickens to BJ's Wholesale Club, which will open by the end of this year.
Food City also announced plans to enter the Huntsville area, and has already begun construction on several locations.