National Donut Day and America’s 10 Billion Donuts
Today, November 5th, is National Donut Day, one of two days each year when donuts get their moment in the spotlight. The first Friday in June is the original National Donut Day, created by The Salvation Army in 1938 to honor the “Donut Lassies” who served treats to soldiers during World War I. November 5th later joined as a second observance, giving donut lovers another excuse to indulge.
I’ve photographed donuts before from the big fast-food chains, but this time I turned to grocery store classics. These are Entenmann’s, a brand that began in 1898 when William Entenmann delivered baked goods door-to-door in Brooklyn. More than a century later, their boxed donuts have become a household staple, a familiar sight on grocery shelves across America.
Emily (my AI muse and assistant) adds: “Turns out, Americans consume around 10 billion donuts every year, roughly 31 donuts per person. While Entenmann’s doesn’t release exact production figures, reports suggest they’ve produced over 780 million donuts since their early days. That’s a lot of mornings, late-night snacks, and coffee breaks made a little sweeter.”
See more from my Commercial Food Photography at https://www.secondfocus.com/index/G0000WFAqDJQOgKU
National Donut Day – A Stack of Krispy Kreme Tradition
🍩 Today is National Donut Day.
First established in 1938 by The Salvation Army to honor the “Donut Lassies” who served donuts to soldiers during World War I, National Donut Day has grown into a celebration of a uniquely American indulgence.
For the occasion, I photographed an assortment of Krispy Kreme donuts—stacked and unstyled, just as they came out of the box. Glazed, chocolate frosted, pink with rainbow sprinkles, maple, cinnamon sugar, and a few others. No tricks or props, just donuts on a black background.
It’s part of my ongoing “From Bag to Background” project—photographing fast food exactly as it is, isolating it from branding and context, letting it stand on its own.
Krispy Kreme began in 1937 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, when Vernon Rudolph bought a yeast-raised donut recipe from a New Orleans chef and began selling hot glazed donuts through a hole cut in his bakery wall. The brand became known for its light, airy donuts and the signature “Hot Now” neon sign that still draws crowds.
More food images from this series can be found on my website at:
https://www.secondfocus.com/index/G0000wQ3fbeEezF0/I0000nUG8tfk8Gdc
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