The Duck Donuts franchise will open its second location in Richmond. Photo courtesy of Duck Donuts.
A recent entry to the Richmond donut scene is adding a Short Pump location to its flock.
A Duck Donuts franchise is taking space in West Broad Village with plans to open by December.
Owner Keith Exton said he has leased a previously unoccupied 1,900-square-foot space at 2437 Old Brick Road, in the same strip as Keegan’s Irish Pub and Restaurant.
It’s Exton’s second Richmond-area franchise for the cake-style donut brand. He opened the first in December at Willow Lawn and said the new spot in West Broad Village was attractive because it had enough parking to allow for easy access.
“We knew we wanted a second location,” Exton said. “This opportunity really presented itself as the next-best spot.”
The first local Duck Donuts shop opened late last year. Photo by Michael Thompson.
Duck Donuts launched in 2006 on the Outer Banks in North Carolina. There are seven locations open in Virginia, 15 total locations open along the East Coast and five more in the works, according to the company’s website. It began franchising in 2013.
Exton would not go into detail about sales numbers at the Willow Lawn location but said he has been pleased with how the store has performed.
“They told us it was going to be crazy, and they were right,” Exton said. “When the doors opened, it was out of control.”
Duck Donuts isn’t the only brand that has had an appetite for expansion in Richmond.
Country Style Donuts opened a long-awaited second location in the West End in March. Sugar Shack has three locations open in Richmond. Bigger chains like Dunkin’ Donuts and Krispy Kreme also have multiple locations in the area.
Exton said each brand caters to its own following. Duck Donuts focuses on cake-style donuts that are made to order and can be customized with toppings.
Keith Exton
“I see the competition quite positively,” he said. “Everyone has their niche.”
Exton’s shop also sells coffee and espresso, something he said some residents at West Broad Village expressed a need for.
Exton said it would cost about $450,000 to get the Short Pump shop open. He is funding it in part on his own and with bank financing. Duck Donuts corporate will contribute to the design of the space, as will Mark Kasten of North Carolina-based Cahoon and Kasten. Greg Dickerson of Cville Real Estate & Construction will likely build out the space, Exton said.
The Short Pump space will have more indoor and outdoor seating than the Willow Lawn location. Quack Gives Back, a weekly donation program, will also take place at the new location.
Exton plans to open more Duck Donuts in Richmond but didn’t say where or when. He said he looked at Midlothian locations before settling on Short Pump.
“We’re already looking at other areas,” Exton said. “We certainly think a third location makes sense.”
The Duck Donuts franchise will open its second location in Richmond. Photo courtesy of Duck Donuts.
A recent entry to the Richmond donut scene is adding a Short Pump location to its flock.
A Duck Donuts franchise is taking space in West Broad Village with plans to open by December.
Owner Keith Exton said he has leased a previously unoccupied 1,900-square-foot space at 2437 Old Brick Road, in the same strip as Keegan’s Irish Pub and Restaurant.
It’s Exton’s second Richmond-area franchise for the cake-style donut brand. He opened the first in December at Willow Lawn and said the new spot in West Broad Village was attractive because it had enough parking to allow for easy access.
“We knew we wanted a second location,” Exton said. “This opportunity really presented itself as the next-best spot.”
The first local Duck Donuts shop opened late last year. Photo by Michael Thompson.
Duck Donuts launched in 2006 on the Outer Banks in North Carolina. There are seven locations open in Virginia, 15 total locations open along the East Coast and five more in the works, according to the company’s website. It began franchising in 2013.
Exton would not go into detail about sales numbers at the Willow Lawn location but said he has been pleased with how the store has performed.
“They told us it was going to be crazy, and they were right,” Exton said. “When the doors opened, it was out of control.”
Duck Donuts isn’t the only brand that has had an appetite for expansion in Richmond.
Country Style Donuts opened a long-awaited second location in the West End in March. Sugar Shack has three locations open in Richmond. Bigger chains like Dunkin’ Donuts and Krispy Kreme also have multiple locations in the area.
Exton said each brand caters to its own following. Duck Donuts focuses on cake-style donuts that are made to order and can be customized with toppings.
Keith Exton
“I see the competition quite positively,” he said. “Everyone has their niche.”
Exton’s shop also sells coffee and espresso, something he said some residents at West Broad Village expressed a need for.
Exton said it would cost about $450,000 to get the Short Pump shop open. He is funding it in part on his own and with bank financing. Duck Donuts corporate will contribute to the design of the space, as will Mark Kasten of North Carolina-based Cahoon and Kasten. Greg Dickerson of Cville Real Estate & Construction will likely build out the space, Exton said.
The Short Pump space will have more indoor and outdoor seating than the Willow Lawn location. Quack Gives Back, a weekly donation program, will also take place at the new location.
Exton plans to open more Duck Donuts in Richmond but didn’t say where or when. He said he looked at Midlothian locations before settling on Short Pump.
“We’re already looking at other areas,” Exton said. “We certainly think a third location makes sense.”