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Randy's Donuts opens first Bay Area location in Santa Clara
An iconic Southern California donut shop has officially arrived in the Bay Area.
SANTA CLARA, Calif. - An iconic Southern California donut shop has officially arrived in the Bay Area.
Randy's Donuts will open its first Bay Area location Friday in Santa Clara at 2595 Homestead Road, bringing its famous oversized donut sign and decades-long legacy to Silicon Valley.
The chain, founded in 1952, first opened in Inglewood and has since expanded to 27 locations across Southern California, Las Vegas, Arizona and Georgia.
Hollywood-famous donut shop
What we know:
Randy's Donuts has become a recognizable landmark thanks to its giant rooftop donut, which has appeared in numerous movies, television shows and music videos.
The iconic sign has been featured in films including Iron Man 2, while the movie Friday famously parodied the shop with the fictional "Holy Moly Donuts," as noted by LA Taco.
Free donuts for grand opening
Why you should care:
To celebrate Friday's opening, the Santa Clara store will give away free donuts from 7 a.m. to noon.
The first 25 customers in line will also receive a free half-dozen box.
The menu features traditional favorites such as glazed donuts alongside specialty flavors including matcha, churro and seasonal offerings like mango tajín.
A friendly rivalry across the street
What they're saying:
The new Randy's Donuts location sits directly across from Stan's Donut Shop, a South Bay institution that has built a loyal following for decades.
Ausaf Masud, one of the owners of Sweet Rings LLC, the franchise group bringing Randy's Donuts to Santa Clara, said he views the nearby competition as a win-win for both establishments.
"People over here are aware of donuts," Masud said. "Benefits each one of us. It's a very nice competitive edge now. People get to choose which one they want to try, which one they wanna like. That builds some new taste buds."
Customers say the two shops can coexist.
"I've lived here since 1978. I love Stan's Donuts," said Leonard Armenta. "The only complaint I have about Stan's Donuts is that it closes a little bit early. I think it'd be nice to have a little competition and maybe different varieties."
Armenta said he believes both businesses "will peacefully exist like we all should."
The Source: This story was written from interviews with a co-owner of the Randy's Donuts Santa Clara location, and customers.