Shipley Do-Nuts moves headquarters after change of plans - Houston Business Journal

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Shipley previously planned to build a 60,000-square-foot combination office building, manufacturing facility, innovation center and doughnut shop.

Houston-based Shipley Do-Nuts has found a new home for its headquarters after previously planning to build a 60,000-square-foot, ground-up facility on the site of the former Finger Furniture flagship showroom near the greater Third Ward area.

In September, Shipley moved its administrative operation into an 11,000-square-foot space at 55 Waugh St., just south of Washington Avenue near Spotts Park.

Shipley CEO Flynn Dekker told the Houston Business Journal that the new headquarters was designed to bring together employees who had been working in three separate offices, while also saving money.

“We were in three different office spaces, and we've combined that now into one shiny new modern space that actually costs us less than those three spaces combined,” Dekker said. “We felt like we could get everybody under the same roof and use a space that was more conducive to collaboration and working together.”

The company expected to spend $680,000 building out the space at 55 Waugh to include office areas with workstations, private offices, conference rooms, storage rooms, a reception area and a break room, according to an April 2 filing submitted to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. TDLR filings are preliminary and are often subject to change.

Houston-based Abel Design Group designed the company's new offices.

Flynn, who stepped into the CEO role in May 2023, said one of his first moves was to shift the company’s strategy when it came to its headquarters.

In November 2021, Shipley announced it broke ground on the two-story L.W. "Bud" Shipley Jr. Support Center, a combination office building, manufacturing facility, innovation center and flagship doughnut shop. Plans for the doughnut shop included an interior drive-thru lane going through the building, which would offer visitors a chance to see how the company’s products are made.

That facility was to be named after founder Lawrence Shipley's son, who grew the brand from a local family business to a chain of nearly 200 locations.

“When I came on board, they were still working on that facility, but it just got too cost prohibitive, to be honest,” Dekker said. “Where we are now is in a great location and offers a bright, modern space with everyone under one roof, so we can really work together and move the business forward efficiently and quickly.”

And Dekker certainly plans to move the business forward.

Shipley currently has 360 locations in 12 states, primarily in the southeastern United States. However, the company plans to grow that number to 500 within the next few years — and then set its sights on the rest of the country.

Shipley recently posted its 15th consecutive quarter of positive sales.

“Our goal right now is to continue to grow in the southeast quadrant of the U.S. it's very business friendly,” Dekker said. “People already know the brand, and they're very excited when we come to town. Once we reach that goal over the next, probably, five years, then we can start expanding into the rest of the country.”

To help bolster the company’s growth strategy, Shipley recently hired Laurie Curtis to serve as senior vice president of marketing.

Curtis, who joined Shipley in September, has more than 25 years of national brand marketing experience. She most recently served as chief marketing officer at Walk-On’s Sports Bistreaux and previously was vice president of marketing and menu innovation for Denny’s. She also has worked in leadership roles with TGI Fridays, Pizza Hut and Domino’s.

“Laurie joins Shipley at a dynamic time as we begin to lean more heavily into product innovation and digital sales to drive our growth, which is happening faster than ever in our 88-year history,” Dekker said. “Her strong background in product development will help us continue to generate even more awareness about the Shipley brand and excitement around our menu as we enter markets across the country.”

Curtis is just the latest addition to Shipley's executive team, which has grown rapidly during the past few years.

In May, the company announced it hired Jonathan Massey as vice president of sales and Fred Frey as director of franchise recruitment. Massey previously served as director of franchise development at Addison-based Wingstop Inc. (Nasdaq: WING). Meanwhile, Frey joins Shipley from Midland-based HTeaO, where he served as franchise development manager.

Additionally, Shipley added Brad Reynolds as CFO in November 2023. He previously served as CFO for Pasadena, California-based pizza chain Blaze Pizza.

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