Randy's Donuts
An American doughnut chain recognized for the colossal doughnut sign above its original Inglewood drive-in.
Last updated August 21, 2026
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Overview
Randy's Donuts is an American doughnut shop chain best known for the enormous doughnut sign mounted above its original location in Inglewood, California, near Los Angeles International Airport. The sign has become one of Los Angeles's most recognizable roadside landmarks and has helped turn an otherwise conventional mid-century drive-in bakery into an internationally visible brand. The business developed from Russell Wendell's Big Donut chain. Wendell, a salesman of doughnut-making machines, began building a network of drive-in doughnut shops in the late 1940s. The first Big Donut opened in Westmont in 1951, followed by the Inglewood location in 1952 at 805 West Manchester Boulevard, near the intersection with La Cienega Boulevard and the Manchester Boulevard exit of Interstate 405. The original shop operated as a 24-hour drive-in and remains the symbolic center of the brand. In the 1970s, Wendell shifted his attention toward his Pup 'N' Taco business. In 1976, he sold the Inglewood Big Donut location to Robert Eskow. Eskow renamed the shop Randy's Donuts, using his son's name. Two years later, Ron and Larry Weintraub acquired the business and retained the Randy's name. This ownership continuity preserved the location's established identity while allowing the store to remain associated with the giant rooftop doughnut. The landmark's architecture is central to Randy's brand equity. The original building was designed by Henry J. Goodwin, while the rooftop doughnut has been associated with Bradshaw, a civil engineer connected with Los Angeles International Airport's Theme Building. The sign is made from rolled steel bars covered with gunite. Its oversized product-shaped form reflects Southern California's tradition of roadside and programmatic commercial design, in which buildings and signs communicate a business's product to passing motorists. Although the building itself is a relatively ordinary mid-century modern drive-up stand rather than a doughnut-shaped structure, the Los Angeles Conservancy has treated the site as an important example of the region's programmatic architectural heritage. After Mark Kelegian purchased Randy's Donuts in 2015, the company expanded beyond its original Southern California footprint. Franchise locations were added in Southern California, Las Vegas, and Phoenix, followed by international locations in South Korea, Saudi Arabia, the Philippines, and Japan. The company also added a store at Los Angeles International Airport in 2023 and another in the NoHo Arts District in 2024. These openings extended the brand from a single famous landmark into a broader doughnut retail network while maintaining the visual language of oversized doughnut signs. Randy's typical offer centers on doughnuts and coffee, with the flagship symbolic offering being the giant doughnut sign rather than a packaged consumer product. Its public positioning combines accessible, everyday foodservice with Los Angeles cultural recognition. The original building and sign have appeared in films, television programs, music videos, animation, and other popular-culture contexts, including Iron Man 2, Californication, Futurama, and Justin Timberlake's video for "Can't Stop the Feeling!". These appearances have reinforced Randy's Donuts as a visual shorthand for Los Angeles and for the American roadside doughnut shop.
History
Randy's Donuts traces its roots to Russell Wendell, a salesman of doughnut-making equipment who created a chain of drive-in doughnut shops called Big Donut in the late 1940s. The first Big Donut location opened in Westmont in 1951. A second shop opened in 1952 in Inglewood, California, at 805 West Manchester Boulevard. That site, positioned near Los Angeles International Airport and major freeway access, became the future home of Randy's Donuts. The Inglewood shop was conceived as a drive-in doughnut bakery and operated around the clock. Its defining feature was an enormous doughnut installed above the building. The structure was designed by Henry J. Goodwin, while the rooftop doughnut has been attributed to Bradshaw, a civil engineer associated with the Theme Building at Los Angeles International Airport. The doughnut is constructed from rolled steel bars covered with gunite. Its scale and location made it highly visible to motorists and helped establish the site as a landmark of Southern California commercial architecture. Wendell later concentrated on his Pup 'N' Taco chain, which was acquired by Taco Bell in 1984. In 1976, he sold the Inglewood Big Donut to Robert Eskow. Eskow renamed the store Randy's Donuts after his son, creating the name used by the present brand. In 1978, Ron and Larry Weintraub bought the shop and kept the Randy's Donuts name. The business therefore retained both its local identity and its association with the famous rooftop sign through successive changes in ownership. The architecture of Randy's Donuts belongs to the broader history of roadside commercial design. Southern California saw many businesses use oversized representations of their products to attract passing customers. The original Randy's building is not itself shaped like a doughnut; it is a mid-century modern drive-up stand with a giant doughnut functioning primarily as a sign. Nevertheless, the sign is so dominant that the Los Angeles Conservancy has recognized the property in connection with the region's programmatic architectural tradition. The landmark has consequently become important not only as a food-service location but also as part of Los Angeles's visual identity. Mark Kelegian purchased Randy's Donuts in 2015. Under his ownership, the chain expanded through franchise locations in Southern California, Las Vegas, and Phoenix. It subsequently developed an international presence in South Korea, Saudi Arabia, the Philippines, and Japan. International stores have adapted the recognizable Randy's visual concept to new settings; the Shibuya location, for example, used a smaller doughnut sign placed in front of the store rather than reproducing the full scale of the Inglewood rooftop structure. The chain's later growth included an airport location at Los Angeles International Airport in 2023 and a NoHo Arts District location in 2024. Its core commercial offer remains doughnuts and coffee, but the brand's differentiation comes from the combination of accessible foodservice, a memorable physical symbol, and deep integration into Los Angeles popular culture. The original sign has appeared in films such as Iron Man 2, Logorama, 2012, Crocodile Dundee, Get Shorty, Earth Girls Are Easy, Dope, and The Golden Child. It has also appeared in television, animation, and music videos, including Californication, Futurama, Justin Timberlake's "Can't Stop the Feeling!", and The Prodigy's "Wind It Up." The landmark was also referenced in the cover art for J Dilla's album Donuts. These appearances have made Randy's Donuts recognizable well beyond its store network and have supported its expansion as a culturally distinctive doughnut brand.
- 2024
NoHo Arts District location opens
[1]The chain opened a location in Los Angeles's NoHo Arts District.
- 2023
Los Angeles International Airport location opens
[1]Randy's Donuts opened a store at Los Angeles International Airport.
- 2015
Mark Kelegian purchases Randy's Donuts
[1]Mark Kelegian acquired the business and subsequently oversaw expansion into additional domestic and international markets.
- 1984
Pup 'N' Taco is acquired by Taco Bell
[1]Wendell's separate Pup 'N' Taco chain was acquired by Taco Bell, providing context for the earlier shift away from the Big Donut business.
- 1978
Weintraub ownership begins
[1]Ron and Larry Weintraub acquired the shop and retained the Randy's Donuts name.
- 1976
The Inglewood shop becomes Randy's Donuts
[1]Robert Eskow purchased the Inglewood location and renamed it Randy's Donuts after his son.
- 1952
Inglewood location opens
[1]The second Big Donut location opened in Inglewood at 805 West Manchester Boulevard; it later became the original Randy's Donuts.
- 1951
First Big Donut location opens
[1]Russell Wendell opened the first location in his Big Donut drive-in doughnut chain in Westmont.
Products and positioning
Accessible doughnut and coffee retail with strong Los Angeles landmark and roadside-culture associations.
Foodservice · 1951
Doughnuts
Doughnuts are the central product category of Randy's Donuts and the basis of the chain's original drive-in bakery format. The brand's visual identity directly represents this product through the oversized doughnut sign above the Inglewood shop and adapted versions used at other locations.
Beverage
Coffee
Coffee is a standard companion offering within the chain's doughnut-shop format. It supports the brand's positioning as an accessible quick-service breakfast and snack destination, although detailed product specifications are not established in the reference material.
Brand landmark · 1952
Colossal doughnut sign
The giant doughnut sign is Randy's most distinctive branded asset. The original rooftop version is commonly described as approximately 32 feet 6 inches in diameter. Sign formats vary by location: the Bellflower store uses a smaller elevated version, while the Shibuya store used a roughly four-metre sign positioned in front of the shop.
Brand decisions
2024
Open a NoHo Arts District locationProduct launchBackground
The chain continued its Southern California expansion after adding locations in other regional and international markets.
Action taken
Randy's Donuts opened a location in the NoHo Arts District.
Aftermath
The opening further broadened the brand's Los Angeles retail footprint.
2023
Open an airport locationProduct launchBackground
The brand's original landmark is located near Los Angeles International Airport, making the airport a natural extension of its Los Angeles presence.
Action taken
Randy's Donuts opened a location at Los Angeles International Airport.
Aftermath
The chain added a store in a major travel and visitor destination.
2015
Acquire the Randy's Donuts businessM&ABackground
Mark Kelegian purchased the brand after decades of operation under earlier owners.
Action taken
Kelegian took ownership and pursued expansion through additional franchise locations.
Aftermath
The chain expanded in Southern California, Las Vegas, Phoenix, and several international markets.
1976
Rename the Inglewood shop Randy's DonutsStrategyBackground
Robert Eskow acquired the Inglewood Big Donut location after Russell Wendell shifted attention toward Pup 'N' Taco.
Action taken
Eskow renamed the store Randy's Donuts after his son.
Aftermath
The name was retained by subsequent owners and became the identity of the expanding chain.
Recent events
- 2024
Randy's Donuts opens in the NoHo Arts District[1]
Product launch
A new location opened in Los Angeles's NoHo Arts District as part of the chain's continuing Southern California growth.
- 2023
Randy's Donuts opens at Los Angeles International Airport[1]
Product launch
The chain opened a location at Los Angeles International Airport, extending its presence at a major gateway closely associated with the original Inglewood landmark.
- 2015
Randy's Donuts is acquired by Mark Kelegian[1]
M&A
Lawyer and entrepreneur Mark Kelegian purchased Randy's Donuts, after which the brand began expanding through additional domestic and international locations.
Randy's Donuts expands into international markets[1]
Other
Following the 2015 ownership change, the chain added locations in South Korea, Saudi Arabia, the Philippines, and Japan, in addition to domestic expansion.
Sources2 sources
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