A Texas doughnut and kolache chain is headed to the Saddlebrook shopping center on State Bridge Road, giving Johns Creek and eastern Alpharetta residents a new drive-thru breakfast option in an already busy corridor.

Shipley Do-Nuts plans to open an approximately 1,600-square-foot shop at 10945 State Bridge Road, in an end-cap space at the Kroger-anchored center, the North Atlanta Star reported on Wednesday, Aug. 12. The space includes an existing drive-thru dating from its previous use as a dry cleaner, according to ToNeTo Atlanta. Past tenants have included Thrive Pet Healthcare and Verizon.

No opening date has been announced. The address does not yet appear in Shipley's online store directory.

The location marks the chain's return to metro Atlanta after its first area franchise, at 3225 Keith Bridge Road in Cumming, closed Jan. 11, 2026. That closure left Shipley without a presence in the metro area for several months.

Part of a bigger push

The State Bridge Road shop is the first confirmed North Fulton address tied to a national expansion Shipley announced Feb. 18. That announcement named Alpharetta, Roswell and Sandy Springs as targets for three new Atlanta-area locations, alongside new shops in Las Vegas, New Orleans and Dallas-Fort Worth.

CEO Flynn Dekker said in the February announcement that the company was expanding into "key high-growth markets from Nevada to Georgia." Shipley opened a record 35 new shops in 2025 and ranked No. 77 on the Fast Casual Top 100 Movers & Shakers list for a third consecutive year.

The new State Bridge Road franchise is expected to be operated by a new franchisee, not the Dallas-based group that previously held rights to open up to 25 Georgia locations but never opened any, according to ToNeTo Atlanta.

Competitive corridor

The planned Shipley sits about half a mile from a Tim Hortons that opened in January 2026 in a converted former CVS Pharmacy on State Bridge Road. As we reported July 31, Famous Dave's Bar-B-Que is also headed to the same stretch this fall.

Founded in Houston in 1936, Shipley operates more than 385 locations across 13 states. Its menu features more than 40 varieties of handmade doughnuts, including its signature hexagon-shaped hot glazed, plus kolaches filled with sausage, egg and cheese.

Saddlebrook's other tenants include Kroger and Daiso, the Japanese discount retailer that opened in a 10,000-square-foot former Tuesday Morning space in 2025.

What to watch

Shipley has not disclosed a construction timeline or projected opening window for the State Bridge Road location. The Roswell and Sandy Springs locations from the February announcement also remain without confirmed addresses. With Famous Dave's and Tim Hortons already reshaping the State Bridge breakfast-and-dining corridor, the Shipley addition would give Johns Creek commuters yet another reason to slow down on their morning drive.