Houston-based Shipley Do-Nuts outlines Las Vegas, New Orleans and Atlanta growth as it nears 400 stores

A legacy Houston brand details its next wave of store openings

Shipley Do-Nuts, the Houston-founded doughnut and kolache chain, has announced a new multi-market expansion plan that would add 14 locations across four major metro areas and move the company closer to the 400-store threshold nationwide. The plan includes the brand’s first entry into Nevada, extending a footprint that in recent years has steadily moved beyond its traditional Gulf Coast and Southern strongholds.

The expansion plan calls for three Shipley Do-Nuts locations in Las Vegas, five in New Orleans, three in the metro Atlanta area and three more in the Dallas–Fort Worth region. The Las Vegas openings represent the chain’s first stores in Nevada.

Where the new locations are planned

• Las Vegas: 3 stores, marking Shipley’s first Nevada locations
• New Orleans: 5 stores
• Metro Atlanta: 3 stores planned for Alpharetta, Roswell and Sandy Springs
• Dallas–Fort Worth: 3 stores

Growth strategy follows a change in ownership

The announcement comes after a 2025 ownership transition in which private equity firm Levine Leichtman Capital Partners acquired Shipley Do-Nuts from Peak Rock Capital. Financial terms were not disclosed. The company has said it will continue to be led by its existing executive team, including CEO Flynn Dekker, and remain headquartered in Houston.

Shipley had previously been acquired by Peak Rock Capital in 2021, ending long-standing family ownership. During Peak Rock’s tenure, the firm said Shipley more than doubled systemwide sales and increased new unit development, while also investing in operational initiatives including a new corporate headquarters and research and development capabilities.

How fast Shipley has been expanding

Company disclosures and recent reporting describe the last several years as the fastest growth period in Shipley’s roughly 90-year history. In 2025, Shipley opened a record 35 locations and entered new markets in North Carolina and Virginia. As of mid-2025, Shipley operated more than 375 locations across 14 states, with Texas accounting for the large majority of stores.

Shipley began in Houston in 1936, building its identity around hot, fresh doughnuts and later adding kolaches and klobasniky that became signature items for many Texas customers.

What the expansion signals for Houston’s restaurant exports

The latest plan underscores a broader national scaling effort by a brand long associated with Houston’s food culture. By combining continued growth in Texas with new placements in high-population metro areas such as Las Vegas and Atlanta, the company is positioning itself to broaden awareness beyond its established base while maintaining operations and leadership centered in Houston.