While living in North Carolina, Daniel Bruno’s wife was expecting their first child and she had a hankering for something sweet. She sent him on a mission to find her a sweet treat and he went into town and smelled something in the air that led him to Duck Donuts.

He brought a dozen to his wife, and that—as he says—was it. The couple loved the doughnuts and would bring visiting family and friends to the doughnut shop every chance they got. But when the couple moved back to Arizona and Bruno’s wife was expecting their second child and craved Duck Donuts, they ran into an issue. There was no local franchise in Arizona.

“She told me to figure it out,” Bruno said. “So I sat up that night and worked on a plan and three weeks later we were in talks to open an Arizona location. We love the product to death and it’s such a fun brand. It’s been awesome, we say we sprinkle in happiness whenever we can and it’s true.”

Duck Donuts opened in Chandler in December 2019. The business makes everything made-to-order. The menu also includes ice cream, milkshakes and an espresso bar.

Bruno said running Duck Donuts has been a labor of love and a true family affair—his wife likes working the cash register and their young children have a variety of jobs around the store when they go to work with their parents.

“This area has the sense of a family, a sense of community, that you don’t find everywhere,” Bruno said.

He said their relationships with the community—and the doughnuts—make them unique.

“We have warm, delicious, made-to-order doughnuts,” Bruno said. “You can watch your doughnut get made here. You can’t do that everywhere.”