CAROLINA BEACH — Easter weekend won’t only bring Cadbury eggs and chocolate bunnies but … donuts!
On Friday, April 3, Carolina Beach’s staple Britts Donuts will reopen for the season. The shop, located on Carolina Beach’s Boardwalk for 87 years, opens each spring and closes mid-September. The announcement of its seasonal hours is celebrated annually and indicates tourist season is nigh, with opening day often including a line of people snaking down the Boardwalk.
Known for churning out one single style of donut — glazed — Britts maintains the same counter-style service, deep fryer and equipment originally purchased for the business in 1939. Its owner, Bobby Nivens, told Port City Daily at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic he thought this added to the nostalgia of the shop but also the flavor and love of Britts.
Nivens passed away in October 2025, though his daughter, Lynn Prusa, is carrying on the business and tradition in his absence. The family keeps the original recipe and ingredients close to the vest, with only Nivens, his wife and Prusa knowing what goes into each batch.
The Pleasure Island Chamber of Commerce will host a special presentation before the shop opens on April 3 at 4 p.m. According to the chamber’s director of operations, Alannah Keeler, a memento will be given to the family.
Nivens also was given a key to Carolina Beach in 2019 and was recognized as the beach town marked its 100-year anniversary in 2025.
The donut shop normally has limited weekend hours through Memorial Day, but once the tourist season picks up, it opens daily through Labor Day.
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