Shipley Do-Nuts began in 1936 by Lawrence Shipley. When Shipley first created his recipe, his doughnuts were cut by hand and served warm during the day, and sold for per dozen. Shipley and his family worked at their original bakery on 1417 Crockett Street in Houston, Texas. Shipley's goal was to continue selling hot doughnuts to customers. He said "When they bite into that hot doughnut, it will bring them back every time". Lawrence Shipley Jr. took over the business, and later still, Lawrence W. Shipley III became the president of the company. Today, the chain's headquarters remain in Houston, Texas on 5200 North Main.
Growth
Shipley Do-Nuts began a phase of rapid expansion. Shipley Do-Nuts' locations are based primarily in the Southern United States, but their imprint has been shifting further out. In the company debuted stores in Florida, Colorado and Oklahoma. In Florida, the first location opened in Bradenton. That year, they also opened the first Colorado location in Aurora in the Denver area. The second Colorado location opened in 2019 in Fountain in the Colorado Springs area. Additionally to new states, Shipley vastly expanded in states it already served. The company is known for its flexible location as it can be attached in shopping strip centers or as a free-standing location.
Marketing
Since experiencing massive growth, Shipley Do-Nuts has constantly adjusted its marketing concept accordingly. The company uses "Make Life Delicious" as its slogan. A secondary slogan has also been used as "The Greatest Name in Do-Nuts" and is displayed in some of their stores including their original location in Houston Heights.
Logo
The current company logo is derived from the original store's sign that consisted of a large, circular doughnut figure to inform customers they sold doughnuts. Since the original store began, the doughnut-shaped logo has been updated various time, but constantly kept the same theme. In its different updated, elements such as font, brightness, shading and sizing have been slightly changed overtime. In the mid-2010s, the company attempted to implement an alternate logo, but it was short lived. An alternate Wordmark is used by the company both in store signs and in packaging. Like the primary logo, the wordmark is an updated version of the original. While the logo and wordmark have a brown color base, the company's theme colors are white and red. The red is used as stripe which can be found in packaging, alone the stores walls, and often, even in the store signs.
The company has partnered with the Salvation Army to use a portion of sales on National Doughnut Day for charity. Shipley Do-Nuts hosted an annual Shipley Do-Nut Dashfun run to benefit the Kids’ Meals Houston charity. The event raises funds to end hunger among pre-schoolers living in poverty in Houston and the surrounding area.
Controversy and criticism
2015 Pregnancy Discrimination Lawsuit
In, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, charged a Shipley Do-Nuts franchisee for violating federal anti-discrimination laws when it forced an employee to take unpaid leave. The franchise owner/general manager prohibited the employee from working at the doughnut shop unless she provided documentation from a doctor that her pregnancy is not high-risk and was fired when she was unable to provide formal evidence of the doctor's release, in violation of the Pregnancy Discrimination Act, part of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. On a Federal judge signed the consent decree that settled the suit which provided non-monetary relief.
2017 Overtime Lawsuit
In, a lawsuit against Shipley Do-Nuts regarding the issue that their employees were not getting the overtime pay that they deserved. The suit alleged that "All plaintiffs regularly worked over forty hours per week...Shipley's knew or reasonably should have known that plaintiffs worked in excess of forty hours per workweek". One employee, Juan Sanchez, claimed that he "put in 40–60 hours in a week with minimal breaks". However, he believes that Shipley Do-Nuts disregarded the overage and paid him only 40 hours' worth. The suit filed claims that Shipley Do-Nuts did not maintain accurate records, failed to pay workers minimum wage, and dismissed the idea to pay overtime. Shipley Do-Nuts stated, "the claims by the former employees named in the lawsuit are unfounded, completely without merit and no more than a retaliation lawsuit against Shipley Do-Nuts and Lawrence Shipley III for their recent termination."
Legacy
In 2018 Houston artist Donkee Boy created a Shipley Do-Nuts mural in a location along the Katy Freeway.
