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Private company

Winchell's Donuts

Logo: winchells.com3

American doughnut shop chain, founded 1948

Winchell's Donut House is an international doughnut company and coffeehouse chain founded by Verne Winchell in 1948, in Temple City, California. In 1999, when the company was owned by Canadian company Shato Holdings, there were 293 Winchell's locations in the Western United States; by 2004, when it was bought by competing chain Yum Yum Donut Shops, Inc., the chain had been reduced to nearly 200 locations; by 2025, this had been further reduced to Winchell's 100 locations in six states, plus locations in Guam and Saipan.2 Wikipedia text CC BY-SA 4.0

Last updated Oct 21, 2026.

Overview

1948Founded1

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Photo: Minnaert, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons4

Winchell's Donut House is an international doughnut company and coffeehouse chain founded by Verne Winchell in 1948, in Temple City, California. In 1999, when the company was owned by Canadian company Shato Holdings, there were 293 Winchell's locations in the Western United States; by 2004, when it was bought by competing chain Yum Yum Donut Shops, Inc., the chain had been reduced to nearly 200 locations; by 2025, this had been further reduced to Winchell's 100 locations in six states, plus locations in Guam and Saipan.2

The story

Founded by Verne Winchell in 1948.1

Leadership

Who has led Winchell's Donuts, and when. Pick a name to see everywhere that person has worked.

Products and brands

  • doughnut

Listed on Wikidata.1

Subsidiaries and ownership

Owners

  • Yum Yum Donuts

From Wikidata.1

Timeline

  1. 1948Founded Founded1

Sources

The numbers on this page point here. Each one links to the record it came from.

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    Company websiteWinchell's Donuts logo
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