History with ‘Hud’: The story behind more than eight decades of Britt’s Donuts
CAROLINA BEACH, NC (WWAY) — A popular Carolina Beach donut shop is set to open its doors for the 84th season on Friday – continuing its legacy as the longest operated business on the Boardwalk, visited by people from all over the country year after year.
Britt’s Donuts began serving the glazed treats in 1939, when founder Harvey L. Britt set up shop in the beach-front town. Britt also opened a second location in downtown Wilmington on Princess Street to serve shipyard workers, which closed in 1956.
But the location in Carolina Beach remained. Once located where the arcade is now, Britt’s Donuts shifted to its current spot in 1969.
It was five years later, in 1974, that founder Harvey L. Britt decided to sell his store and closely-guarded secret recipe to Bobby Nivens, who has owned the spot ever since. But Nivens was no stranger to Britt’s when he took the reins.
Nivens worked at Britt’s Donuts in the 1950s while in high school, earning less than a dollar per hour to hand-make the circular deserts. So when Nivens bought the business, he knew exactly what to do – having served hundreds of thousands of donuts to people of all ages ever since.
Through eight decades of hurricanes, and a pandemic, Britt’s Donuts has remained a Carolina Beach constant. One that will continue to be enjoyed by generations to come.
Britt’s Donuts will be open each Friday (4:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.), Saturday (8:30 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.) and Sunday (8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.) through late May. On May 26th, the cash-only store will switch to its full time schedule of every day until beginning to wind down its hours and eventual closure in September.
