Donut Connection franchise
2023 filing · June 8, 2023
Donut Connection at a glance
A donut and coffee shop that is a member of a donut shop cooperative. At the end of 2022 there were 57 Donut Connection locations in the US, all franchised.
The business
- Franchisor
- Donut Connection Cooperative Corporation
- The company that sells the franchises
- Franchisor based in
- Houston, Pennsylvania
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $35K–$100K
- A donut shop
- Franchise fee
- $500
- A $500 stock subscription in the cooperative, plus a training fee of $3,500 to $20,000
- Royalty
- No royalty
- No royalty; members pay up to $500 a year for advertising
- Brand fund
- Yes
- Up to $500 a year
- Franchisor financing
- None offered
Where it is
- US locations, 2022
- 57
- Franchised and company-owned
- Franchised
- 57
- Company-owned
- 0
- Change in 2 years
- 0
- Franchised locations, 2020–2022
- States
- 13
- Most in New York, Pennsylvania and West Virginia
From Donut Connection Cooperative Corporation’s 2023 filing; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
Where it ranks
Donut Connection among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | Donut Connection | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $67,457 | Costs less than 94% of franchises |
| Franchise feePaid once, when you sign | $500 | Lower than 99% of franchises |
| US locationsFranchised and company-owned | 57 | More than 67% of franchises |
How much a Donut Connection franchise costs
Opening a donut shop costs an estimated $35,270 to $99,643. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital. It is one of the franchises under $50K.
Source: Donut Connection Cooperative Corporation, 2023 filing, page 13
Donut Connection franchise fee
The franchise fee is $500, a $500 stock subscription in the cooperative, plus a training fee of $3,500 to $20,000. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: Donut Connection Cooperative Corporation, 2023 filing, page 11
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | No royalty; members pay up to $500 a year for advertising. |
|---|---|
| Brand or marketing fund | Up to $500 a year. |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: Donut Connection Cooperative Corporation, 2023 filing, page 12
Sales and earnings
No figures Donut Connection does not share sales or profit figures for its locations. Talking to current and former franchise owners is the usual way to learn what a location earns.
Source: Donut Connection Cooperative Corporation, 2023 filing, page 36
- Estimate Estimated yearly sales per location
- $130K–$240K
Estimated from the sales that 292 comparable franchises file, matched on industry, format, cost to open, fees and size.
SBA loans to Donut Connection franchisees
Lenders approved one SBA 7(a) loan for a Donut Connection franchisee in 2008, for $185K. It was charged off.
A charged-off loan is one written off as uncollectible. See SBA franchise loans for how 7(a) and 504 loans work.
Source: SBA 7(a) and 504 loan data, as of September 30, 2026
How Donut Connection compares
Of the 14 donut franchises on this site, Donut Connection is the cheapest to open and the 7th largest by number of locations.
| Figure | Donut Connection | Typical donut brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $35K | $416K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $100K | $652K | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $500 | $40K | $40K |
| US locations | 57 | 42 | 21 |
| Closed or left per year | 0% | 10.3% | – |
| Change in franchised locations, 2 yrs | 0% | +12% | – |
| Shares earnings figures | No | 9 of 14 | 2,147 of 3,352 |
Typical is the median across the 14 brands in donut franchises; typical franchise, across every brand here.
Locations opened and closed
| Year | Franchised | Company-owned | Opened | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 57 (0) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | 57 (0) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | 57 (0) | 0 | – | – |
Closed or left counts terminations, non-renewals, locations bought back by the franchisor and locations that stopped operating.
See which brands grew most in the fastest-growing franchises rankings.
More in the guides: coffee franchise costs and franchise failure rates.
Source: Donut Connection Cooperative Corporation, 2023 filing, page 37
Where Donut Connection locations are
At the end of 2022, Donut Connection had franchised locations in 13 states. The most are in New York, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
- New York17
- Pennsylvania16
- West Virginia6
- Maryland4
- Virginia4
- New Jersey3
| State | Franchised |
|---|---|
| New York | 17 |
| Pennsylvania | 16 |
| West Virginia | 6 |
| Maryland | 4 |
| Virginia | 4 |
| New Jersey | 3 |
| Delaware | 1 |
| Florida | 1 |
| Michigan | 1 |
| Minnesota | 1 |
All 13 states
| Ohio | 1 |
|---|---|
| South Carolina | 1 |
| Tennessee | 1 |
Source: Donut Connection Cooperative Corporation, 2023 filing, page 39
Who owns Donut Connection?
Donut Connection franchises are sold by Donut Connection Cooperative Corporation.
From Donut Connection Cooperative Corporation’s 2023 filing.
Lawsuits and bankruptcy
| Lawsuits and regulatory actions | None. The filing says no litigation has to be disclosed. |
|---|---|
| Bankruptcy | None. The filing says no bankruptcy has to be disclosed. |
Franchisors must disclose lawsuits and bankruptcies involving the company, its parents and affiliates, and its executives. Many cases are routine disputes with franchisees over fees or contracts; read the descriptions in the filing and ask current owners about anything that worries you.
Source: Donut Connection Cooperative Corporation, 2023 filing, litigation on page 9, bankruptcy on page 10
Donut Connection filings
The figures on this page come from Donut Connection Cooperative Corporation’s 2023 filing, issued June 8, 2023, on record with the NASAA Electronic Filing Depository.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 filing | June 8, 2023 | NASAA depository | Costs, fees and locations, 2020–2022 |
Each link opens the filing as a PDF. See the newest filings across all brands.
Other donut franchises
All donut franchises
Donut Connection is also on these lists: bakery franchises, coffee franchises, food franchises.