Curiocity: Finally, Donut Cooperative Now Open
Donut enthusiasts, rejoice! The long-awaited Donut Cooperative is finally open.
After a longer-than-anticipated delay, the little donut shop that could has opened its doors in a cozy spot in south Minneapolis, greeting plenty of fans with its latest concoctions.
Co-owner Dawn Otwell said even though they were hoping to open sooner, they've received a more than warm welcome when they finally flung open their doors.
"It's been so much more overwhelming than what we expected," she said. "It's been great. I didn't think I needed to hire more people than what I had, but we were all putting in 70 to 90 hours a week for the last two weeks. I had to hire some people pretty fast. ... We've had lines out the door every week."
So clearly the demand was there, but Otwell said it took a while to figure out if this is really what people wanted, how to make that into a co-op and, of course, finding the right location.
After all, a good location at a good cost isn't always easy to find. But when one door was closing, they were able to open theirs.
"I follow Cake Eater on Facebook and one morning I noticed they posted it was their last day being open. So I went in and spoke with (owner) Emily and from then on, we just kind of worked together to make the switch over seamless," Otwell said.
The Donut Cooperative purchased all of Cake Eater's equipment and got to work to get the new place open. Otwell said it was as close to turn-key as they could've hoped for.
And while the digs may be new, the concept and flavors coming out of their kitchen certainly aren't. They've been serving their unique and delicious donuts since last June at events across the Twin Cities.
Combinations like chocolate bourbon creme, ginger lemon curd and goat cheese lavender are just a few of the options available at The Donut Cooperative. Not to mention, plenty of vegan options -- which is a treat for vegans and non-vegans alike.
"You really can't tell the difference at all between our vegan and non-vegan donuts," she said. "It's a very slight difference."
All the flavors are really a product of trial and error -- if someone thinks up a combination that could work, they'll try it out.
"We pretty much work as a team and we listen to everybody's ideas. If someone comes up with something that sounds good, we'll try it and see if it works and see if people like it," Otwell said.
Still, it seems the old standbys, like cinnamon sugar, continue to be their top seller.
As donuts continue to fly off the shelves, Otwell said they're looking to add mini quiches and a few other savory breakfast offerings, in addition to their already popular boxed lunches and soup and sandwich choices.
It's an exhilarating time for a shop that's been in the works for more than a year, but now that they're settling in, Otwell said it's clear this was the way it was meant to be.
"Everybody's so excited. We keep seeing a lot of the same people every day that we're open," she said. "I wish that we had been able to open up sooner but I love the space. ... It couldn't have been a better situation."
The Donut Cooperative is located at 2929 E. 25th St., in Minneapolis. For hours and more information, check out their website.
