Relationship thinking that builds a brand. Doughnuts that melt in the mouth. The perfect combination that underpins the beloved Walkers Doughnuts business.

“We have dedicated the last 20 years to creating the best doughnut we can, based on my family’s four generations in baking,” co-founder Jim Stoupas explains. “I studied food technology, and Rose and I have a rich family history with doughnuts.” 

Jim grew up with his mother making loukoumades, the Greek honey doughnuts that are a cherished, festive treat across generations. His wife, and co-founder, Rose is of Dutch heritage and she grew up with her mother making the famous Dutch oliebollen doughnuts.

“What makes the best doughnut? A short, sweet bite that melts in your mouth. Pillowy perfection. We constantly try to improve,” Jim says.

The product is the result of science as much as instinct. “You want doughnuts your lips can bite, not your teeth. Balanced flavours, sweetness, mouth feel. There’s a lot of biochemistry involved: sugar, water absorption. And a lot of tasting,” Jim says.

That commitment to product quality is an active, daily discipline that runs through the entire organisation.

Why customers keep coming back

Ask Jim what drives customer loyalty and his answer begins not with marketing, but with the product itself. 

“The fundamental starting point is a product good enough to bring them back.” 

Then the focus shifts to something Walker’s takes seriously at every level of the business: customer service.

“Coffee and a doughnut are relationship products,” Jim says. “Coffee is a daily event. We tell all our franchise partners, ‘repeat customers will be the foundation of your business’.”

Jim explains his customer service philosophy was instilled at an early age. “When I was a kid, Myer was venerated. Their training was all about customer service. I was so proud to work for them. I want our franchise partners to be proud of the Walker’s brand,” he says.

The best operators, he notes, are always in uniform, their staff are engaged, and they make the experience happen.

“You have to drive your business. The internal factors matter.”

The result, after nearly two decades, is a depth of goodwill that continues to surprise even Jim. 

“People buy the feeling, the warmth, the connection. It constantly surprises me how much loyalty and goodwill there is toward Walker’s. We are working on building a stronger social presence, but we have so much organic love.”

Retro identity, iconic flavours

Walker’s aesthetic is centred in the golden age of American diner culture; think hot jam doughnuts, soda fountain milkshakes, hot dogs, classic coffee.

The brand occupies a nostalgic space in a crowded quick-service market; Walker’s retro identity is a genuine point of difference.

And right now, that retro sensibility is being amplified through the reintroduction of some of the brand’s most beloved products. 

“We’re bringing back a customer favourite, the cream and jam doughnut,” Jim explains. “And we’re reviving the eclair. We stopped making them a few years ago but customers kept asking for them.” 

The old-favourites menu also includes a Louisiana pecan pie based on a traditional Americana recipe. And, for National Doughnut Day, they introduced a Cinnamon Scroll Doughnut, filled with Cinnamon Custard Cream, coated in French Toast Sugar, topped with Cream Cheese Icing and their signature Cinnamon ‘W’.
doughnut based on a traditional Americana recipe. And, for National Doughnut Day, a cinnamon scroll doughnut filled with cinnamon custard cream, coated in French toast sugar, topped with cream cheese icing and the signature W.

As for novelty versus classics, Jim is philosophical. “The classics are classic for a reason. Customers always try the new flavours, but everyone loves the classic tastes,” he says.

Setting up the future

The classics were there from the beginning when Jim and Rose opened their first store on Melbourne’s Elizabeth Street in 2006, directly opposite Flinders Street Station.

And for 20 years it has operated 24/7. 

The flagship’s central, high-traffic location make it an ideal site for all-night business. From Thursday to Saturday the store is flat-out serving customers, from railway staff at 3am to late night revellers, and early morning travellers.

The Elizabeth Street store and a site at Spencer Street Station prove the model works at a major transport hub. This is informing how Walker’s thinks about future site selection, particularly for operators willing to lean into high-footfall, around-the-clock locations.

Today, with more than 34 locations across the country and a national expansion actively underway, the brand is entering what Jim describes as its most exciting chapter yet.

What ultimately accounts for Walker’s longevity? “Deep and abiding relationships with customers. The goodwill is constant,” Jim says.

That is the Walker’s Doughnuts story; a family’s baking heritage, translated into a product crafted with genuine care, served by people who take customer relationships seriously, in a brand with a clear and loveable identity.