Doughnut shop

A doughnut shop or donut shop is an establishment that specializes in the preparation and retail sales of doughnuts. A doughnut is a type of fried dough pastry, deep-fried from a flour dough, and typically either ring-shaped or without a hole and often filled.

Many doughnut shops, such as U.S. and Canadian national chains, serve coffee as an accompaniment to doughnuts, thus they can also be classified as coffee shops. However, a doughnut shop tends to be more casual and serve lower-end fare which also facilitates take-out and drive-through which is popular in those countries, compared to a coffee shop or cafe which provides more gourmet pastries and beverages such as espresso, latte, americano and cappuccino.[1][2]

History

Doughnuts in their proper form were introduced by Dutch settlers to New Amsterdam (now New York) as olykoek ("oil cake") in the early 18th century. These doughnuts closely resembled later ones but did not yet have their current ring shape. Some historians believe that recipes brought by English settlers served as a catalyst for the modern donut rather than Dutch olykoeks. The ring shape traces its origin to the mid-19th century and is often attributed to Hanson Gregory, a New England ship captain, and his mother. Doughnuts came into their own and became closely associated with the United States during World War I, when millions of American doughboys in France were served doughnuts by Salvation Army woman volunteers to evoke a sense of home.[3] In World War II, the American Red Cross brought 1.6 million doughnuts and coffee to U.S. soldiers stationed in Europe and the Pacific to boost morale.[1] Doughnut shops remained niche until the until the late 19th century, when the invention of the doughnut cutter made ring-shaped doughnuts practical and popular. The first automated doughnut machine, founded in New York City in 1920 by Russian refugee Adolph Levitt, significantly increased production by automatically cutting and frying doughnuts. Levitt founded the Doughnut Corporation of America—which later started the National Dunking Association—and opened the Mayflower donut shop in Times Square in 1931. The doughnut machine became a public spectacle at the 1933–1934 Chicago World's Fair as the "food hit of the Century of Progress."[3] This innovation fueled rapid growth, leading to the widespread popularity of doughnut shops across the United States in the mid-20th century, solidifying doughnuts as a quintessentially American food. Major chains emerged during this period, notably the North Carolina-based Krispy Kreme in 1937, which was known for its large windows enabling customers to witness doughnut production, and the Massachusetts-based Dunkin' Donuts in 1950. Canada also became known for its doughnut shops, with its most famous chain being Tim Hortons; founded in 1964. They continued to expand throughout North America and internationally throughout the 20th and 21st centuries.[1][4][5]

Overview

Listing

The following is a list of notable doughnut shops (i.e. shops whose doughnut sales have been the subject of significant coverage in reliable, independent sources).

See also

• Big donuts of Southern California
• List of bakeries
• List of coffeehouse chains
• List of doughnut varieties
• List of fried dough foods
• Lists of restaurants
• National Doughnut Day
• Pie shop