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Hurts Donut hires new franchise director

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Hurts Donut Co. announced the hiring of a franchise development veteran.

Danny Hewitt, who has more than 30 years of experience, joined the Springfield-based doughnut chain this month as director of franchise development, according to a news release. His past endeavors include franchising and marketing positions at Liberty Tax Service, Wyndham Destinations and American Title Loans. He's credited with the idea behind the Statue of Liberty costumes worn by Liberty Tax employees to entice customers into stores.

“What excites me most about joining Hurts Donut Co. is their growth has been all organic. With a little bit of structure and strategic marketing, this brand has excellent potential to be a top player in the industry," Hewitt said in the release. "The founders have come a long way; I think we are all excited to see what happens when we add a little gasoline to our fire.”

The franchise development director role previously was held by Ray Nagel, who now works at oil company BP, according to his LinkedIn profile. Nagel started in the role in September 2018, when the company was tracking to have 34 stores open at the end of 2019, according to past Springfield Business Journal reporting.

Hewitt comes on board as the coronavirus pandemic has slowed operations at Hurts Donut, said founder and CEO Tim Clegg. He said sales are down about 10% this year, following a 10% increase in revenue last year to around $22.1 million.

"While a downturn in sales is never part of the plan, we feel fortunate that we have maintained a high level of success through COVID-19 challenges," he said via email.

There have been no new store openings so far this year, but Clegg said the company plans to end 2020 with 25 shops, up from 21 currently. A reopening of a store in Middleton, Wisconsin, and a new store opening in Omaha, Nebraska, are scheduled this month, and in 2021, a second Tulsa, Oklahoma, restaurant and an Austin, Texas, location are in the pipeline.

Founded in 2013, Hurts Donut’s two Springfield shops are the only corporate-owned stores.

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