The proprietors of two doughnut shops set to open in August in the Twin Cities say they believe both can thrive despite the competition.
Tim Gartin, 47, and Angel Gartin, 41, will operate Angel’s Donuts at 203 N. Truman Blvd., Crystal City, and Paul and Nima Pandey will operate Donut Palace at 310 W. Main St., Festus.
“There is room in this area for three or four doughnut shops,” said Paul Pandey, 50, of Park Hills. “There’s enough customers for everyone.”
Pandey, affiliated with the Donut Palace franchise, said customers suggested Festus as a potential site to open another store.
“The people who come from St. Louis for my doughnuts said they wanted (a Donut Palace) in St. Louis,” he said. “They told me about Festus.”
Tim Gartin said the presence of another new doughnut establishment doesn’t bother him.
“No, not at all,” he said. “I think it’s great. There’s enough business for everyone.”
Angel’s Donuts
Gartin said the doughnut shop will be a first business venture for him and his wife.
“My wife and I were recently married,” he said. “We’ve always enjoyed doughnuts and coffee and were looking to open a business together. We moved to Festus and noticed there really wasn’t a doughnut and coffee place. We thought everything was coming together to open a doughnut shop.”
He plans to open Angel’s Donuts on Aug. 10.
“We’re looking to have a simple, but delicious, array of doughnuts – glazed and cake,” he said. “There will be filled and sprinkled. We’ll have coffee and soda. We’re shooting for, when we open, 10 varieties. It will have standard coffee, no fancy stuff.”
However, he sees the shop’s doughnut menu evolving as he and his wife hear opinions from customers.
“We will make our doughnuts on site,” Gartin said. “One of the things I want to do is understand what the community likes. We look to adapt to what people want.”
He said Angel’s Donuts will provide a relaxed atmosphere for customers to enjoy their treats.
“We have an informal area with couches and comfy chairs and tables,” Gartin said. “The tables have seating for 20 and the couch area will have room for five more.”
Gartin said the shop will operate with a staff of four, “mostly family,” and he and his wife have completed hirings.
Donut Palace
Pandey hopes to open Donut Palace the first week of August.
“It’s just like old-time, fresh doughnuts,” he said. “Everything is made from scratch. I’ve got more than 30 varieties. All the old favorites – cake, old-fashioned, glazed. We have a bacon doughnut. We are famous for that. Our apple fritter is also popular.”
He said his Festus shop initially will offer only doughnuts made in his Park Hills store and brought to Festus, but he plans to begin cooking on-site and to expand his menu when he can.
“Right now, we’ll have coffee and doughnuts,” he said. “No later than the spring, I’ll start making them in Festus. At Park Hills, we have sandwiches. When I start cooking at this one, I’ll offer sandwiches, as well as biscuits and gravy.”
The Donut Palace will have limited customer seating, for about eight, Pandey said.
“Mostly, it’s takeout,” he said.
He said four to five people will run the business. He said he plans to hire one full-time and one part-time employee to work along with several Pandey family members.