Menu, prices: Duck Donuts from US opens first Philippine branch

Like cake donuts? The US chain from Duck, North Carolina is now frying at Poblacion, Makati City!

MANILA, Philippines – At Duck Donuts, you can have your cake and eat it, too… as a donut, that is.

Duck Donuts, the beloved donut chain from Duck, North Carolina, has opened its first stand-alone branch in the Philippines at the heart of Poblacion, Makati City, serving cake donuts that are freshly-fried and made-to-order per customer.

Launched in June, Duck Donuts’ first Manila outpost is the beginning of the brand’s ambitious plan to open 25 stores across the Philippines within two years, with its next branch set to open at Ayala Circuit Makati on August 2.

Currently, the only other Duck Donuts branch in Asia is in Bangkok, Thailand, launched in October last year.

What’s up, Duck?

Duck Donuts’ Poblacion branch stands out, not just for being the first in the Philippines, but also for being the largest Duck Donuts store globally.

Working with Bravo Foods Corporation, the Philippines team tweaked the brand’s look to make it more approachable and Instagram-friendly for the local market, they told Rappler. It looks like a candy store, with baby pink and bright blue shades around.

“We believe that the warmth and uniqueness of Duck Donuts will resonate with the Filipino community,” Betsy Hamm, CEO of Duck Donuts, said.

Founded in 2007 by Russ DiGilio in Duck, North Carolina, Duck Donuts is famous for its made-to-order donuts that can be customized with various toppings and drizzles. There are no ready-made donuts on display to choose from, unlike other chains.

Most chains also typically serve yeast donuts, which are softer and fluffier, with more “chew.” Duck Donuts offers cake donuts, which are denser, heavier, and more compact.

Using a batter mixture of butter, sugar, eggs, flour, and baking powder, Duck Donuts’ cake donuts have a golden-brown, crisp exterior and a substantial interior that’s almost like a pound cake. I suggest trying the Classic donut first, to taste it in its simple glory.

The Poblacion branch offers a fun and interactive experience where you can build your donuts and watch them being made in front of you.

There are different ready-made flavors available (which can be overwhelming at first), but they’re already categorized into themed boxes for easier picking.

Donut worry, there’s a flavor for everybody

Duck Donuts uses cake batter imported from the US for the donuts, while the glazes follow a special vanilla icing formulation from the US. Duck Donuts told Rappler that exclusive Filipino flavors using local ingredients are soon to be introduced.

For its coffee menu, a special blend exclusive to Duck Donuts Philippines is used, made from coffee beans of different origins, imported from Japan and Singapore.

We tried the Iced Latte, priced at P120 for medium and P140 for large, was milky, smooth, and potent but not too bold – I didn’t need to add brown sugar to mine. The Oreo Milkshake, at P290, tasted just like rich, blended ice cream in a cup.

The menu features a variety of plain flavors and combinations – fan favorites include Maple Bacon, French Toast, Strawberry Sugar, Peanut Butter and Jelly, S’mores, Blueberry Pancake, Strawberry Shortcake, Vanilla Confetti, and Sunrise made with lemon icing and raspberry drizzle. Some variants are sweeter than others; it all depends on your personal preferences!

Classic donuts are priced at P65 each, while glazed or cinnamon donuts are P75 each.

Building your donut costs P85 each. A box of six ranges from P350 to P450, and a dozen ranges from P650 to P850.

The process of creating your donut starts with a bare donut, followed by your choice of coating (options include powdered sugar, cinnamon sugar, glazed chocolate icing, vanilla icing, maple icing, lemon icing, peanut butter icing, strawberry icing, or blueberry icing).

Next, pick a topping (options include rainbow sprinkles, chopped peanuts, OREO cookie pieces, chocolate sprinkles, chopped bacon, streusel, shredded coconut, graham cracker crumbs), and finally, choose a drizzle (hot fudge, marshmallow, raspberry, salted caramel) – the combo possibilities are endless!

If you want something heavier, on-the-go, and both sweet and savory, Duck Donuts also offers Breakfast Sandwiches, priced at P224. I tried the Bacon, Egg, and Cheese variant – it was flavorful and very filling, so it could also be good to share, just like the donuts. One indulgent piece was enough for me, as it could get a bit too heavy to finish on my own.

Duck Donuts has more than 100 branches across the US. The brand is reportedly planning franchise launches in Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao, as well as Australia and the UK.

For more details on the menu, you can visit Duck Donuts Philippines. – Rappler.com