Anybody who's been to L.A. has driven by a Randy's Donuts, the iconic breakfast-cake shop whose flagship location opened in Inglewood way back in 1952.
Even if you haven't seen that particular giant donut looming over the landscape, in the intervening 70 years, you may have passed by one of its 11 other locations in and around Los Angeles. Or you may have seen it featured in a movie, say, or a music video.
Since Mark Kelegian bought Randy's back in 2015, he's added shops in Vegas and the Bay Area, and expanded internationally to the Philippines, Saudia Arabia and South Korea.
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One market he has yet to conquer, though: San Diego, which is odd when you consider that back in the 20th Century, Kelegian got his undergrad degree at the University of San Diego and law degree there four years later, in 1986. Randy's expiring empire is not his first foray in San Diego County. either: In fact, he owns the Ocean's Eleven casino up in Oceanside.
Still, the donut king, who has signed a franchise agreement deal with a group in San Diego, thinks Randy's is a tasty fit for the region, which they are cooking up plans to open 10 San Diego locations.
"It's just a natural progression as we spread throughout the state," Kelegian told NBC 7 on Monday.
The first location, which is scheduled to open in December or January, is slated for a spot near Mission Valley, just up the hill to the north where Aero Drive crosses paths with Interstate 15. Lucky us: That's, like, a quarter-mile from the NBC 7 and Telemundo 20.
Other sites being eyed:
- Escondido
- Chula Vista
- El Cajon
- Clairemont/Pacific Beach
- Oceanside
- Vista
- Kearny Mesa
- La Jolla (both sides of La Jolla Village Drive)
Who knows? Maybe San Diego will end up with a baker's dozen, but what is certain is that there will be plenty of donuts to go around.
"We're a brand that works in low-income areas and affluent areas," Kelegian said.
It's expected to take three years from now to roll out all the San Diego iterations of Randy's Donuts, the owner of Randy's Donuts said.
Sadly, not ALL the San Diego locations will have the giant donut, but some will if they can get past legal hurdles.
"Unfortunately, that is unknown until permitting, but the first one will not," Kelegian said.
