The Milestone
Shipley Do-Nuts, the Houston-based chain that has operated since Lawrence Shipley Sr. opened his first bakery at 1417 Crockett St. in September 1936, is marking its 90th anniversary with a structured, phased campaign designed to drive traffic and reward loyalty through Oct. 18. The promotion, which launched Aug. 10, spans 10 weeks and layers new product introductions, limited-time value mechanics, and a loyalty-points kicker — giving franchisees a sustained traffic tool rather than a single burst event.
At the center of the campaign is the Birthday Bullseye, a riff on Shipley's existing Strawberry Bullseye that incorporates colorful sprinkles into the dough itself and adds a strawberry icing finish. The LTO is also bundled into the 1936 Shipley Favorites Box — a limited-edition dozen that pairs the new flavor with house classics including Original Glazed, Cherry Iced, Chocolate Iced, and Bavarian Cream Filled. "The Birthday Bullseye was our way of honoring where we came from while giving guests something brand-new to fall in love with for our 90th," said Kaitlyn Venable, Shipley's Director of Culinary.
The Deal Structure
The campaign is built around four sequential promotional windows, a structure that operators in the franchise system will recognize as a proven method for sustaining visit frequency over a long promotional arc. From Aug. 31 through Sept. 13, the returning Duo Deal — any donut paired with any kolache starting at $4, with a $1.99 coffee add-on — anchors the midpoint of the campaign. The Sept. 14–27 window drops glazed donuts to 90 cents each, capped at 12 per guest, a price point that directly echoes the chain's founding-era wholesale price of 5 cents a dozen. The final phase, Sept. 28 through Oct. 18, shifts to bonus loyalty points on every purchase, capping the campaign by rewarding the chain's highest-frequency guests.
For franchisees managing food and labor costs, the sequencing matters: value-driven weeks are sandwiched between LTO-driven traffic at the front and loyalty investment at the close, spreading margin pressure across distinct periods rather than concentrating it.
Brand Scale and Context
With more than 390 franchised and company-owned locations across 13 states, Shipley holds the position of the country's largest fresh, handmade donut and kolache chain. The kolache — a Texas adaptation of the Czech original, featuring savory fillings like sausage, cheese, egg, and jalapeño baked into fresh dough — gives the brand a differentiated morning daypart offer that sets it apart from national donut competitors. Shipley ranked No. 134 on Entrepreneur magazine's Franchise 500 for 2026 and No. 142 on the Technomic Top 500 the same year.
"For 90 years, our guests have welcomed us into their mornings, their celebrations and their communities, and that loyalty is the foundation of the Shipley story," said Flynn Dekker, CEO of Shipley Donuts. The anniversary campaign represents a calculated investment in that loyalty infrastructure — particularly the rewards segment, which Shipley is actively pushing through its dedicated rewards portal.
For restaurant operators tracking LTO strategy and beverage and bakery category trends, Shipley's phased approach offers a replicable playbook: anchor with a hero product, sustain with value mechanics, and close by deepening loyalty program engagement — all within a single brand moment. Full offer details and participating location information are available at shipleydonuts.com.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
