Made-to-Order, Customizable Doughnuts Touch Down in Encinitas

Duck Donuts has arrived in Encinitas bearing warm, freshly-made doughnuts. Founded in Duck, North Carolina, the store now has over 70 branches around the country and more than 140 in the works. Local franchise owner Dave Manley first tasted Duck Donuts while vacationing in the Outer Banks; his North County store is the chain’s second West Coast outpost, and Manley tells Eater that he’s eyeing downtown and East County for future locations.

The 1,150-square-foot store in Encinitas’ Village Square grand opens on Saturday, October 20 at 8 a.m., with free medium hot coffee with any doughnut purchase and the first 25 people in line entered in a contest to win free doughnuts for a year. Regular operating hours will be Sunday through Tuesday from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Wednesday through Saturday from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The Duck Donuts experience starts with a vanilla cake doughnut, fried fresh to order. Customers can choose from a large array of sweet coatings, from chocolate to blueberry glazes, and unlimited toppings and drizzles including rainbow sprinkles, graham cracker crumbs, hot fudge, and salted caramel. For the indecisive, the shop features signature doughnut flavors such as maple bacon, cinnamon sugar, and s’mores as well as seasonal variations; the fall lineup includes vanilla with apple and streusel and Halloween-themed doughnuts topped with gummy worms and pumpkin icing. Doughnut sundaes with vanilla, chocolate, or peanut butter ice cream are also available.