[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 11]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 15347]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                             SHIPLEY DONUTS

                                 ______
                                 

                              HON. TED POE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, November 15, 2012

  Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, every morning, at the crack of dawn, 
there's a nostalgic aroma of warm donuts, fresh out of the oven, coming 
from a local Shipley Donuts. The smell takes me back through memories 
from when I was a boy, walking around the corner to a Shipley's in 
Houston, Texas, reaching into my pockets for some spare change to buy a 
donut. It was such a treat. I can still remember when there were only a 
few Shipley's in town. Only a few on each side of the city. And today, 
the evolution of this once small donut shop continues to amaze me.
  The donut chain, now with more than 200 stores across the southern 
region of the United States, originated in Houston. In 1936, near the 
end of the Great Depression, Lawrence Shipley, Sr. stirred up some 
special ingredients and came up with his very own recipe for donuts. He 
cut them by hand and served them warm every day. There was no other way 
for him to serve the donuts but hot and fresh. It was his secret to 
loyal customers that would later grow his business.
  Mr. Shipley became Houston's go-to man for donuts. People couldn't 
get enough; his donuts were such a hot commodity around the city that 
they began to sell in the retail markets in the 1940s. Through Mr. 
Shipley's strong vision of becoming a place for families to gather and 
enjoy a warm donut over a good conversation, that is what Shipley 
Donuts became.
  When customers walked into the store, their eyes instantly traveled 
to the trays of fresh glazed, chocolate, strawberry, and golden glazed 
twist donuts behind the glass counters. The sweet smell of the round 
pieces of bread filled the air in the mornings and brought people in 
the shop. It was a well-known smell that people couldn't resist. When 
Mr. Shipley, Sr. passed away, his special recipe lived on through his 
son, Lawrence Shipley, Jr. He grew his family's business from just one 
store to several in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, 
Tennessee, and Texas, with 86 in the Houston area alone.
  Together with his son, Lawrence W. Shipley, III, Shipley Jr. 
perfected the donut and branched out to making kolaches, now one of 
their signature products. Shipley, III, is currently president of the 
Shipley Donuts company and strives to maintain the same gourmet donut 
products his grandfather worked hard to perfect for many years. And it 
wasn't something that happened overnight.
  Shipley Donut means more than just a warm, glazed donut that slowly 
and sweetly dissolves in my mouth after every bite. This fine company 
represents community, a strong business, and quality service. Of 
course, the irresistible, sweet smell of the donuts baking inside is 
what brings people inside, but customers are also always greeted with a 
warm smile behind the counter of donuts upon entering. And although it 
is a true Texas tradition, it is a model for businesses in the Houston 
area and states across the southern line of the country.
  Shipley products are not only a Texas tradition but are also a 
personal tradition for me. When I drive down North Park Drive and pass 
a local store, the smell tempts me every time. I reflect on my 
childhood and can't help the urge to pull into what is now a Shipley 
Donuts drive thru. A trip to the donut shop is a personal tradition 
that I've passed onto my family, too. When my grandchildren tug away at 
my sleeve, begging me for a sweet treat, I tell them I know exactly the 
place to go.
  And that's just the way it is.

                          ____________________