HenDough’s Chicken and Donuts Pairing Is Poised To Disrupt Local Food Scenes

Tasty as they may be, chicken and waffles is nothing new. But now there’s a restaurant concept that’s putting a wild and irresistible new twist on that savory and sweet pairing, replacing waffles with breakfast’s other iconic sweet treat: the donut. 

HenDough, the casual-dining restaurant brand founded in Hendersonville, North Carolina, has spent the past five years hooking new customers with its indulgent headline pairing and keeps them coming back with its unique menu of chef-driven, freshly made comfort food and inviting atmosphere.

Now, after opening a second location and seeing the insatiable demand for the concept, HenDough founders Paul and Sarah Klaassen are excited to give qualified entrepreneurs the chance to bring this differentiated consumer offering to their community through their newly launched HenDough franchise opportunity. 

How HenDough’s Delicious Marriage of Chicken and Donuts Was Born

Paul and Sarah met while working at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina. Paul, who has a long culinary career at several prestigious restaurants, was working as a chef there, while Sarah was bringing her passion for baked goods to the hotel as a renowned pastry chef. 

The two eventually married, deciding to leave the corporate hospitality world and open their own restaurant business. After primarily serving tourists at the Biltmore, Sarah and Paul wanted to start a restaurant that could become a local staple and create a friendly, casual-dining environment where everyone in the community could come together and enjoy a special menu. There was only one thing left to decide: what would they serve?

“In 2016, we came up with the idea of opening a donut shop that also offered fried chicken as a way to combine Paul’s cooking expertise with my background as a pastry chef,” said Sarah. “We knew it was the best way to utilize both of our passions while creating an offering and atmosphere that would bring the people in our community back on a regular basis.”

With this goal in mind, the Klaassens came up with the name HenDough as a play on the company’s two main product categories and locals’ nickname for Hendersonville. The first location opened to massive and unexpected success in March of 2016. 

“Chicken and donuts are a unique combination, so we weren’t sure if the concept was going to work,” Paul said. “As we geared up for opening and spread the word, we really started to feel the momentum build in the area. The first day we opened, we were out of food by 1:00 p.m. We even ended up cutting out dinner and focusing solely on lunch and breakfast because we couldn’t keep up with the demand. The customer response was shocking — the first year we opened, we exceeded our expectations in revenue by 50%, making $450,000 in revenue instead of our projected $300,000.” 

As HenDough proved to be a huge hit in Hendersonville, the Klaassens decided to spread the joy by bringing their chicken and donuts to a second location in a food hall in Greenville, South Carolina.

How Hendough’s Original Menu and Locally-Sourced Products Stand Out in the Casual-Dining Segment

When guests first enter the HenDough restaurant, they are greeted by an eye-catching counter filled with creative and mouth-watering donuts. All of the delectable varieties are only $1.50, or just a little more than $2 for specialty offerings. Guests can also receive 10% off when they buy a dozen donuts. 

“Most of the guests come in and order a donut at the counter after seeing our display case,” said Sarah. “After trying one, they will usually order a box of donuts to take with them when they go.” 

Those donuts are divided into four categories: cake donuts, yeast donuts, filled donuts and bear claws/fritters. The best part of the donut menu, though, is the constant rotation of new selections each month in conjunction with holidays, events and seasonal flavors. For example, during the past holiday season, the donut menu included winter-themed specials, such as bourbon eggnog donuts, white chocolate peppermint bark donuts and gingerbread donuts. Other past favorites include the Nutella crunch donut, a donut with chocolate-nutella glaze and crunchy chocolate cookie bits on top, and the French toast donut with maple custard filling.

Beyond the donuts, HenDough’s breakfast menu features the usual Southern-comfort staples, such as chicken biscuits, sausage biscuits and egg and cheese biscuits, as well as some special HenDough originals. The Donut Breakfast Sandwich, for example, is as indulgent as it sounds: bacon, sausage and American cheese between a sliced glazed donut. The Egg in the Basket features two eggs in a “donut basket,” fried chicken, bacon and jalapeño maple syrup. The Donut French Toast is made with a griddled donut bread pudding, berry preserves, maple syrup and whipped cream.

Unlike other breakfast and brunch concepts, HenDough puts just as much emphasis into its lunch menu as it does breakfast, which is where the fried chicken aspect comes into play. The chicken sandwiches are served on a brioche bun and in a variety of styles, ranging from buffalo chicken to maple bacon. There is also a large, $2 snack menu, which includes a range of classic Southern-style sides, such as fried brussel sprouts, collard greens, roasted jalapeno grits and more. Customers can also order chicken by the piece, as well as a side salad for those looking for something healthier.

Paul says the brand has recently decided to introduce dinner to the menu as well, which includes the highly-requested and long-awaited addition of burgers. It is the unique combination of breakfast, lunch and dinner menu items, Paul says, as well as the quality, which truly sets the brand apart.

“There are fried chicken restaurants everywhere and donut shops everywhere, but there are very few places that do both as well as we do,” Paul said. “Customers can treat HenDough like a donut shop in the morning, and can then come back and enjoy a totally different meal for lunch or dinner.” 

To maintain a consistent level of quality, HenDough sources all products through partnerships with local vendors, businesses, breweries and farms, including Dynamite Roasting Co.; Underground Baking Co.; Southern Appalachian Brewery; Mills River Creamery; and Naked Apple Hard Ciders. This model not only means the products are as fresh as possible, but also allows customers to feel good about supporting their local business community.

HenDough’s unmatched consumer offering isn’t going unnoticed in the Carolina restaurant scene — the brand has been mentioned in local publications such as Citizen Times, Southern Living and Atlanta Magazine. Paul notes HenDough was also recently featured on the cover of a local print magazine.

How HenDough Pivoted to Off-Premise To Satisfy Consumers During the Pandemic

Although HenDough previously operated as a mostly dine-in service, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Paul says they immediately saw a huge consumer demand for takeout service. Both restaurants were able to successfully pivot, with the Greenville location operating as strictly takeout and Hendersonville now operating at around 75% takeout service. 

The Klaassens also used the downtime to remodel the Hendersonville dining room in January 2021, allowing them to optimize the space for socially-distanced, enjoyable and safe dining. Despite the pandemic, the Hendersonville restaurant had its best sales year yet in 2020, and with the addition of dinner and burgers, Paul and Sarah expect to see a 25% to 30% growth in revenue in 2021.

“As we emerge from the pandemic, we predict we will be back at 80% to 90% on-premise business soon,” said Sarah. “We love serving customers in the store, and although takeout business is great for us, we are looking forward to opening back up at full capacity.”

Now, HenDough is looking for qualified franchisees in the Carolinas, as well as in Florida, Georgia and Tennessee, who are eager to pursue an innovative and profitable opportunity in the casual dining industry. With HenDough’s proven systems and beloved menu, franchisees have the opportunity to bring a distinctly delicious and memorable restaurant experience to their community.

The total initial investment required to open a HenDough restaurant is $205,500-$643,500 (multi-developmental initial investment $235-500-$778,500). The initial franchise fee is $30,000 for one establishment and $15,000 for each additional restaurant. For more information, visit: https://hendough.com/franchise/