Duck Donuts waddling to middle Georgia with Byron location

BYRON — A husband-and-wife duo is bringing a piece of North Carolina to middle Georgia. Duck Donuts is guaranteed to give everyone something to quack about when the business officially opens on Saturday, Feb. 28. 

The grand opening will include multiple giveaways.  The first guest in line will receive a special gift basket and one free dozen donuts per month for a year. The next 50 guests will receive a coupon for a free dozen donuts and coffee. All guests will receive a thank-you offer while supplies last, and proceeds will be donated to local charities. 

Byron is the third location in the state. The business is based in Duck, North Carolina, and has several locations throughout the country. 

Duck Donuts offers customers the option to create their own donuts made fresh in front of them, creating an interactive experience. There is a wide variety of coatings, toppings, and drizzles to choose from to suit their preferences. 

When preparing the donuts, there is a glass wall between the employees and customers so they can watch their order being prepared. 

The business is also decorated with duckies everywhere, which children love, co-owner Naomi Smith shared. There are also plushies of their mascot, Ollie the Duck. 

“You actually get to enjoy the process with us. You’re watching us and we’re interacting and they’re talking to you while topping your donuts. It’s just a fun experience for the families,” she said. 

There is a wide variety of beverages to start the day off right, including coffee, which co-owner Ron Harris described as “top notch.” There will also be non-coffee options, including lemonade and lemonade refreshers, with customers able to add popping bubbles. 

The business also offers all-day breakfast, donut-topped milkshakes, donut sundaes, donut ice cream sandwiches and small bites like donut hole dippers. 

Customizing their donuts is what stood out to the couple when they first visited a Duck Donuts. 

Harris and Smith were on vacation, celebrating her birthday, when they discovered the business. Harris shared that they were in Florida when the name caught his attention. 

“When I walked in, everything just hit me. I was like, ‘Wow, this place is nice.’ It was colorful, everybody was friendly,” he said. 

Since then, the family has not stopped trying Duck Donuts. As soon as they came back home, the duo started looking for franchise opportunities.

The couple has been working hard, gearing up for the grand opening. Smith believes they are doing well in spreading the word on social media and marketing, including visiting businesses to give out samples.

“We just have a lot of different marketing efforts to kind of just bring people [and] make them aware,” she said.

Harris and Smith are both from Miami, where they also run a pizzeria called Sarpinos. Harris grew up knowing how the franchise process works as his father operated three McDonald’s. He spent his 20s gaining experience, which made him comfortable to start franchising as well. 

The couple moved from Miami to Macon approximately 14 years ago and feels they are a part of the community. When they first came to middle Georgia, they knew no one except Harris’s brother and his children. Then, their families also started moving to the area and have now made a home here. 

Smith believes Byron is the perfect place to add a Duck Donuts and encourages customers to be themselves and authentic.

“We want them to have a fun vibe. We want the guest to always feel welcomed. It’s going to be that fun atmosphere every time they walk in,” she said. 

The couple encourages the community to visit them and guarantees customers will receive a warm welcome every time they walk through the door. 

“We want to bring the community together. Everybody is different. Donuts are colorful. People are colorful. So it all blends together,” Harris said. 

Duck Donuts is located at 6011 Watson Blvd, Suite 300. They are open Monday through Thursday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. On Fridays, they are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.; on Saturdays, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Finally, on Sundays, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

To learn more, visit their website.