Duck Donuts Chain Debuts Its First Vegan Cake Doughnut

Starting today (World Vegan Day), North Carolina-based chain Duck Donuts will add its first vegan doughnut to the permanent menu of its Orange County, CA locations. The franchise chain first tested the made-to-order, cake-based vegan doughnut (available with vegan-friendly coatings such as cinnamon sugar) this summer at its Irvine and Huntington Beach locations and received positive responses. “Since we opened in 2018, we have received many requests from customers for a vegan donut, which speaks to the consumer demand and lifestyle preference of those in Orange County,” Gary Kopel, Duck Donuts Orange County franchise owner, said. “We are very excited to be the first Duck Donuts market to expand our product offering with the introduction of our new vegan donut.” The chain will consider expanding the vegan option to all of its 86 locations in other markets in 2020 should demand prove positive. “As the United States vegan consumer industry continues to rise, so does the demand for an accessible and tasty vegan product,” Russ DiGilio, Duck Donuts founder and CEO, said. “After much research, trial and error, and in-store testing, we are ready to launch our first alternative donut base option, allowing us to reach a new audience of customers who can now enjoy our warm, delicious donuts, in the same unique, made-to-order atmosphere.”