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\n\t\tOpinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.\t<\/p>\n
Kerry Leo did not join Shipley Do-Nuts<\/a> to maintain the status quo. He joined to build what was missing.<\/p>\n As Vice President of Technology at Shipley Do-Nuts, Leo oversees the systems helping power the brand\u2019s next era of growth. By the time he arrived in Houston in 2021, he understood what growing brands need and how outdated tools can slow momentum.<\/p>\n When Leo arrived, Shipley Do-Nuts was already a beloved brand with deep roots in Houston and a product people swore by. In his view, it was \u201cthe best donuts you\u2019ll ever eat in the whole world.\u201d If you ask him where to start, the answer comes quickly: the warm glazed donut.<\/p>\n What Shipley Do-Nuts lacked was a modern technology foundation built for the next era of growth. \u201cThere was very little tech there,\u201d Leo said. \u201cReally just cash registers and maybe QuickBooks.\u201d<\/p>\n For someone with decades of business experience, Leo saw the technological gap as an opportunity rather than a weakness. It was a rare situation to build from a clean slate rather than untangle years of legacy systems. Instead of stacking new tools on old problems, he helped create an operation designed to scale. Some of his major moves included a cloud-first approach and mobile integrations. It was nothing crazy, just practical steps that helped streamline operations. <\/p>\n That matters because Shipley Do-Nuts is not standing still. The nearly 90-year-old brand is approaching 400 locations, with a couple of hundred more in the pipeline and a goal of reaching around 750 stores by 2030. Growth at that level requires more than great donuts. It requires systems that can keep pace with the business.<\/p>\n \u201cThe first thing I do is I love to go to the shop,\u201d he said. \u201cI like to talk to the franchisees. I like to talk to the cashiers and find out what their pain points are.\u201d<\/p>\n His mindset helped Shipley Do-Nuts stop chasing shiny objects. Technology is there to remove friction. If ordering is clunky, fix it. If operators need visibility, build it. If guests want speed, make it easier.<\/p>\n The goal is simple: make Shipley Do-Nuts easier to run, easier to grow and easier to love.<\/p>\n Shipley Do-Nuts has been around long enough to become more than a restaurant. It has become part of people\u2019s lives.<\/p>\n For Leo, that connection is impossible to miss. \u201cIt\u2019s very generational,\u201d Leo said. From the start, he understood he was helping modernize a brand people already loved.<\/p>\n Founded in Houston in 1936<\/a>, during the final years of the Great Depression, Shipley Do-Nuts began with Lawrence Shipley Sr.\u2019s recipe for hot, hand-cut donuts sold for five cents a dozen. What started small grew into one of the South\u2019s most recognizable brands, built on a simple promise: serve them fresh, serve them hot and give people a reason to come back.<\/p>\n Long before loyalty programs, apps and digital dashboards, people built routines around a box of donuts from Shipley Do-Nuts. Parents brought their kids and those kids grew up and brought their own children. A morning stop became a family tradition.<\/p>\n \u201cI can\u2019t tell you how many times I\u2019m walking down the street and they go, Shipley. You work at Shipley.\u201d Those moments matter because they reveal something bigger than brand awareness. They show habits passed from one generation to the next.<\/p>\n \u201cTheir mom and dad taking them there, and they\u2019re taking their kids there now.\u201d That is the advantage of a 90-year-old brand. Customers are not just buying a product. They are returning to a feeling.<\/p>\n The company\u2019s roots still matter. The Shipley family remained part of the story for generations, helping grow the business while protecting what made it special. \u201cIt is really a great family,\u201d Leo said. \u201cA great product.\u201d<\/p>\n In an industry where brands are constantly trying to look new, Shipley Do-Nuts benefits from knowing exactly who it is.<\/p>\n That identity starts with the product. \u201cThe warm glazed donut is the best thing.\u201d Donuts made fresh daily. Warm glazed donuts that regulars talk about like a local legend. Kolaches that introduce newcomers to a regional favorite.<\/p>\n As Shipley Do-Nuts expands into new markets, the challenge is not becoming something different. It is bringing that same familiarity to more places. Technology can help the company scale. But loyalty is what makes people come back.<\/p>\n Restaurant Influencers<\/em><\/a>\u00a0is brought to you by Toast, the powerful restaurant point-of-sale and management system that helps restaurants improve operations, increase sales and create a better guest experience.<\/p>\n Toast \u2014 Powering Successful Restaurants. Learn more about\u00a0Toast<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\nA Houston institution<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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