North Austin is getting another option for donuts, kolaches and breakfast on the go.
Smiling Donuts is planning a new location at 525 W. Howard Lane, Suite 110, according to construction records filed with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.
The locally established donut shop will occupy approximately 1,000 square feet of shell space within the new retail development at the property. Plans estimate about $120,000 in construction costs for the tenant buildout.
Construction is currently scheduled to begin October 31, 2026, with completion targeted for January 31, 2027.
The project remains listed as Project Registered, meaning there’s still some runway before construction gets underway.
And while the project itself may be relatively small, Smiling Donuts isn’t exactly new to the northern Austin area.
Smiling Donuts already has several locations around Austin
Smiling Donuts has quietly built a presence across communities north of Austin.
Existing locations can be found in Pflugerville, Wells Branch, Hutto and Lago Vista, giving the business an established footprint across the northern side of the metro.
The Howard Lane shop continues that expansion, but this time with a location inside Austin itself.
And Smiling Donuts offers quite a bit more than its name suggests.
Along with traditional and specialty donuts, its existing locations offer breakfast favorites including kolaches, croissants and biscuits, while beverage selections include coffee and a variety of cold drinks. Some locations also offer milk teas, smoothies and slushes.
So while donuts may get top billing, the concept operates as more of a quick breakfast-and-drink stop.
The new shop is going into fresh retail space
The Howard Lane location won’t involve converting an old restaurant or taking over another donut shop.
Construction filings describe the project as a new donut shop being built inside existing shell space, making Smiling Donuts the first tenant to finish out its approximately 1,000-square-foot suite.
The larger property at 525 W. Howard Lane has been developed with new commercial space alongside a Valero gas station, adding another convenience-oriented stop along the busy North Austin corridor.
That’s a natural fit for a business built heavily around morning traffic, quick breakfasts and grab-and-go customers.
Howard Lane continues to grow
The location also puts Smiling Donuts in one of the more heavily developed sections of far North Austin.
Howard Lane provides connections between major north-south corridors including Interstate 35 and MoPac, while the surrounding area includes a dense mix of neighborhoods, apartments, businesses and industrial development.
That means the new shop won’t have to rely solely on nearby residents. Commuters and employees traveling through the area provide another potential customer base — particularly during the morning hours.
And for Smiling Donuts, the new location fills another piece of the map between its existing shops scattered around the northern metro.
When will Smiling Donuts open?
An official opening date hasn’t been announced.
For now, construction records call for work to run from late October 2026 through January 2027. That January date represents the current construction schedule rather than a confirmed opening date.
Once complete, the new shop will add another locally established breakfast option to the growing Howard Lane corridor.
Bottom line — Smiling Donuts has quietly grown across the northern Austin suburbs, and now the local donut shop is bringing another location to North Austin.