Be Local: Enjoy donuts from an area bakery
Editor’s note: This is a weekly series focusing on the importance of buying local.
For many, there is nothing like a hot cup of coffee and a favorite donut — or donuts – to start the day.
Some dip and sip. Others dunk. Some simply eat and drink.
Whatever the case, eating donuts – any time of the day – continues to be one of those American pastimes.
Two local bakery’s – Joe’s Bakery on North Main Street in downtown Washington and Krency’s on Jefferson Avenue in Tylerdale – rely on daily donut sales.
While the COVID-19 pandemic has stung, both are surviving and relying on a loyal base of customers to keep the donut-making and sales viable.
“In many ways, it’s the same as its always been,” said Doug Krency, owner of Krency’s. “We have our everyday customers who come in and get their donuts.”
Joe Vucic, owner of Joe’s Bakery, has seen the wholesale end of his business be greatly impacted.
“A good one-third of it is gone,” he said. “I have two ends of this business – retail and wholesale. The delivery has disappeared. No one is putting their hands in a bag and eating an unwrapped donut.
“Honestly, I was selling more during the April-May time period. People would come in and buy a couple loaves of bread and two dozen donuts. They were bound at home. It’s been tough.”
What Krency’s and Joe’s Bakery miss the most is the salesmen and office workers who often treat staffs they service or work with to dozens of donuts.
“Fewer people go into offices to work,” Krency said. “Salesmen aren’t going in there and they don’t need the donuts. A lot of people just don’t go into work anymore. Many are working from home.”
Said Vucic: “We’re missing the worker who would win some office pool and would take three dozen donuts to work. That’s gone right now.”
Better days are ahead, according to the statistics. The holiday season should provide an uptick as well.
The fact is, consumers have donut desires. The list among the favorites type of donuts include cake, iced cake, glazed, powdered, jelly-filled, creamed-filled, Boston cream, Pittsburgh cream, among others.
Hungry yet?
National studies suggest donuts are being eaten at any time, at any place and — these days — with just about anything. While the treat is still the perfect coffee pairing, now it can be on the bun on a chicken sandwich or a grilled cheese. Some bakeries sell traditional cream-filled donuts and alcohol-infused donuts in their displays. And there are plenty of of toppings from chocolate to cereal to pork.
Peace, Love and Little Donuts in Pittsburgh’s Strip District provides a unique spin on donut shops. Their donuts are small, niche-type donuts include cherry cheesecake, chocolate chip, lemon bar, coffee and cream, raspberry lemonade and a host of others,
According to bakingbusiness.com, flavorful donuts have consumers thinking about what comes next.
From 2015 to 2019, the market size of the donut industry increased 2% a year on average and is expected to grow about 1.2% by the end of this year – even in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to IBISWorld’s 2019 report “Doughnut Stores Industry in the U.S. — Market Research.”
Reports conclude creativity is driving the donut industry. Consumers can eat sweet or savory, old-fashioned, gourmet, yeast or gluten-free donuts. The offerings have not only increased sales but also lengthened the time of day in which donuts are purchased.
According to a survey from Jackson, Mich.-based Dawn Foods, 87% of people eat donuts in the morning, 38% in the afternoon, 33% in the evening and 23% late at night.
It has changed the hours of operation in some places.
With consumers’ wider range of taste and texture preferences and bakeries rising to meet those demands, donuts are highly competitive.
A little more than two weeks ago, statista.com (through Statista Research Department), showed the consumption of donuts in the U.S. from 2011 to 2020 – based on U.S Census data and Simmons National Consumer Survey.
According to their data, 201.02 million Americans will have consumed donuts in 2020. That total is expected to increase to 207.31 million in 2024. If the projections are correct, donut consumption will have increased 10 years out of 12 beginning in 2013 and would have jumped each year of the five years of the 2020s through 2024.
“The holidays help pick things up,” Vucic said. “The vaccines should help and stabilize things.”
Until then?
“If you want a good donut,” he said. “Come to Joe’s Bakery.”
Those interested in joining the Be Local Network can contact Chris Slota at 724-225-1326 or by email at chris@belocal.net. Discount cards are available at the Observer-Reporter and Almanac office, 122 S. Main St., Washington.