Doughnuts fill a display case at the new Randy’s Donuts in Tokyo Skytree Town Solamachi in Tokyo, Oct. 29, 2026. (Jonathan Baez/Stars and Stripes)
A business’ grand opening will draw a crowd looking for something new, or something free.
When Randy’s Donuts opened another store in Tokyo on Oct. 29 at Tokyo Skytree Town Solamachi, the dedicated throng that turned up got both.
Tokyo is synonymous with lines, and that’s exactly what I found at the grand opening of the famous Los Angeles chain’s eighth store in Tokyo and its first takeout-only shop in the eastern part of the city.
It’s one of the highest forms of dedication people can show a brand: an exchange of time for the chance to say, “I was there first.”
I arrived shortly before 9 a.m. for the scheduled 10 a.m. opening.
The second-floor dining area had not yet opened, but scores of dedicated donut lovers had already formed a line. The prize for this endurance test: a free glazed doughnut with each purchase for the first 100 customers each day through Oct. 31.
Customers who spent at least 5,000 yen, or about $31.67, also received a Randy’s Donuts button or keychain.
Customers line up at Tokyo Skytree Town Solamachi in Tokyo before the grand opening of Randy’s Donuts, Oct. 29, 2026. (Jonathan Baez/Stars and Stripes)
Twenty people had already queued in front of me, but I was naive and unfamiliar with the terrain. When security guards opened the second floor, more customers rushed to get in line. As I hurried along with them, I noticed another entrance and another roughly 20 more people ahead of me.
I chided myself for failing to wake early enough to make the first train. Still, I was shocked at how many people had shown up this early on a weekday.
After a 30-minute wait, I placed my order in time for a free glazed doughnut at checkout. I paid $22.17 for half a dozen doughnuts. Prices range from 360 yen to 550 yen.
Being from South Texas, I had never been to a Randy’s, but I knew Tony Stark ate one of the doughnuts in “Iron Man 2,” while sitting in the chain’s iconic giant donut without his helmet.
Randy’s serves traditional yeast and cake doughnuts, with more than 40 varieties across four menu categories: classic, deluxe, fancy and premium. The Solamachi shop also has its own limited-edition Strawberry Matcha Raised.
Employees fill orders beneath a giant doughnut at the new Randy’s Donuts in Tokyo Skytree Town Solamachi in Tokyo, Oct. 29, 2026. (Jonathan Baez/Stars and Stripes)
I skipped the strawberry matcha and stuck with familiar flavors, including a pink raised, with sprinkles, and a blueberry jelly-filled doughnut. Both were fresh and paired perfectly with a cold milk from a nearby grocery store.
If the Skytree location is out of your way, Randy’s has plenty of other options in the city. The first store, in Daikanyama, opened in May 2025 and has a giant doughnut-shaped sign out front.
Stores opened near Shinjuku Station in September 2025 and Tokyo Station in December.
This year brought locations in Yurakucho in March, Ikebukuro Station in April, Meguro Station in May and Shibuya Station in June.
Randy’s Donuts
Location: Second floor of the Tokyo Skytree Town Solamachi building.
Directions: A 9-minute walk from the Honjo-Azumabashi Station.
Hours: Open 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily
Prices: Individual doughnuts range from 360 yen to 550 yen
Dress: Casual
Information: randysdonuts.jp