Randy’s Donuts is the icon of Inglewood. Not just a giant donut, Randy’s has the most famous doughnut sculpture in America and, perhaps, the world.

Completed in 1953, the shop was part of a now-defunct drive-through donut chain. Structural engineer Richard Bradshaw is said to have designed the giant donut from rolled steel bars covered with gunite, a spray-on concrete. The Donut has been atop the drive-in for six decades.

Inglewood’s Randy’s Donuts represents postwar optimism and whimsy. The shop below the donut is a typical Mid-Century Modern drive-up restaurant. New owners, expanding the brand in 2020, are placing replicas of Inglewood’s giant donut on their shops across the region.

Date: 1953

Location
805 West Manchester Boulevard
Inglewood, California 90301

Anne Cheek LaRose, Inglewood Landmarks