Duck Donuts, a made-to-order shop on Gunbarrel Road in East Brainerd, closed its doors as the latest in a list of the chain’s locations to close.
The shop operated next door to Bonefish Grill at the Hamilton Corner shopping center near Hamilton Place since January 2020.
Blake Beard, a former Cleveland, Tennessee, middle school teacher and coach, opened the doughnut shop with his father Kenneth after discovering the brand on a vacation.
The shop was in the process of selling the business and would close on July 26, it said in a social media post last month. It permanently closed July 27.
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Chattanooga Duck Donuts latest in string of closures at chain
“From day one, your support has meant the world to us,” the post said. “Whether you came in for your morning coffee and a warm donut, brought friends and family to visit, or shared kind words and reviews, you’ve been part of what made this journey so special.”
Duck Donuts was among the nation’s fastest-growing chains of doughnut shops in 2019, when the Beard family announced it would open the Chattanooga store.
It is known for customizable doughnuts that are made fresh as customers wait. The stores offer breakfast foods and coffee as well.
The chain was founded by Russ DiGilio in 2007 in Duck, North Carolina, in the Outer Banks, where it gets its name. Its headquarters are now in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania.
The company began franchising in 2013 and says it has more than 150 locations in 26 states, Puerto Rico and eight other countries.
DiGilio sold the company to Philadelphia-based private equity firm NewSpring Capital in 2021 and stepped down as CEO, but retained partial ownership.
CEO Betsy Hamm left the company in January amid corporate layoffs and a string of franchise closures, according to Restaurant Business Magazine.
The Duck Donuts location in Marietta, Georgia, said it would close Aug. 17 “for reasons beyond our control,” according to a social media post on Aug. 5.
Another Duck Donuts location in Naples, Florida, closed in June after five years. Locations in Ohio and Idaho closed in March. A location in North Carolina closed in January, and a location in Louisville closed late last year.
Duck Donuts has not responded to a request for comment on the Chattanooga closure, including how many total locations have closed and how many have opened in recent years.
An online list of nine Duck Donuts locations set to open in the coming months includes one in Knoxville on South Northshore Drive, coming in October.
Beard was not immediately available to discuss the closure by phone on Monday.
“Thank you to all of our guests who have supported the shop!” the Chattanooga shop said in a post announcing its permanent closure. “We apologize for any inconvenience.”
Contact business reporter Daniel Dassow at ddassow@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6318.