Shipley Signs a Three-Store Cincinnati Agreement With the Koettings

Shipley Donuts announced a three-unit Cincinnati agreement with Koelache Co. LLC on June 17, 2026. The group plans its first Ohio shop for the first quarter of 2027.

The agreement announcement identifies Houston-based Don and Kat Koetting and Don’s parents, Fred and Lisa, as the partners. Two additional shops are expected through 2029. The release reports a signed agreement, with all three openings still ahead.

The family has ties across the Ohio River: Don’s father and grandfather grew up in Bellevue, Kentucky, according to Shipley. Don described bringing the brand to his family’s former home region as a personal undertaking.

Shipley describes his career as spanning CFO roles and commercial banking, including franchise clients Papa Johns, Burger King, Little Caesars and Subway. His wife, Kathryn Koetting, identified earlier as Kat, is associate general counsel at Lineage, the cold-storage and food-logistics company. The release also identifies her as a Tulane Law graduate. Those are the company’s descriptions of the partners’ professional backgrounds.

A footprint built through new-state openings#

Shipley’s January 15 update reported 35 shop openings in 2025, including its entry into North Carolina and Virginia. Other openings that year were in Texas, Tennessee, Alabama, Florida and Georgia.

The company described more than 385 company-owned and franchised locations across 13 states. Its reported territory stretched from Colorado and Oklahoma through Texas and the South, reaching Maryland and Virginia. The list combined established markets with the two states added during the previous year.

The January account described more than 40 varieties of donuts, including glazed, iced and cake versions, plus fritters, bear claws, donut holes, twists and rolls. The hexagonal plain glazed donut remained its top seller, the company said.

Savory kolaches supplied a second product family, with meat-and-cheese fillings baked into the pastries. Together, those products give the franchise an offering that extends beyond sweet donuts. The January statement also offered franchise opportunities throughout the South, Southeast and Midwest to qualified operators seeking new territories.

Corporate support spans development and operations#

In its April 28 first-quarter update, Shipley reported four completed shop openings, including its first in El Paso. Another 25 were expected during the rest of 2026, in new and existing markets.

The April release also set out responsibilities for three senior executives. Chief Development Officer Todd Brin oversees franchise development, construction, design and real estate. Chief Operating Officer Matt Kafka leads operations and franchise support. Chief Financial Officer John Feray focuses on same-store sales growth and margin performance.

Those assignments cover both creating new locations and supporting the restaurants already operating. The responsibilities connect the real estate and construction side of expansion with the continuing work inside the franchise system.

The same update described product changes reaching that system: bite-sized Kolache Dippers and Rowdy Ranch, the brand’s first kolache dipping sauce. Shipley was developing its menu alongside its store network. The reported first-quarter openings were completed work; its remainder-of-year forecast still described an expected outcome.

Its Ohio agreement belongs to a later schedule: the first planned opening falls in 2027, after the period covered by that forecast.