Back to Donutland!

The Donutland in Cedar Rapids. 7/9/2022 dwm

Driving down Center Point Road in Cedar Rapids I was surprised and excited to see a Donutland above a line marking the location of newer stores.

I remember Donutland.  There was a location in Janesville where I grew up west of the intersection where Kennedy Road began a trek north from the primary Milton Avenue.  It was next to Dave's Frostop Drive-In.

Almost every Saturday morning, mom sent me with Dad to Donutland to pick out a half-dozen donuts for breakfast.  They bought something called a Chop Suey to eat while I would enjoy a long john and a chocolate donut.

Getting in line reminded me of an old store.

 I couldn't tell you when the store in Janesville closed, it was replaced by an auto parts store around the time I went off to college.

 On the store's website it says it is one of the last remaining stores of a once large franchise that uses the same colors, decor, and menu as it did during the store's hey-day.

 We bought donuts at the store at 4307 Center Point Rd NE.  There is another Cedar Rapids location on Williams Boulevard and a third in Iowa City.

I ordered two chocolate chip donuts with a sugar glaze to be washed down with an 8-ounce bottle of chocolate milk.  It was a taste that brought back memories.

Four servers behind the counter worked fast!

From media reports found in writing this blog, it seems Donutland is growing again, if it succeeds, perhaps it can equal the peak of 40 stores around the Midwest, including the one I remember in Janesville.

The store we visited found a market for fresh donuts.  There was a line through the door with four people working as fast as they could behind the counter to box or bag the donuts then help the next customer.

Several customers were just like me, excited to revisit the Donutland of their childhood and eat the donuts made the way they were made years ago.

Three-hours is a long drive for Saturday morning donuts, re-living and remembering what it was like for a while is worth the trip!

Donutland - 4307 Center Point Rd NE, Cedar Rapids, Iowa (7/9/2022 dwm photo)