The Story of How One Man Ate a Donut and It Changed His Life. Forever.

[squirrel]

You just can't compete with Tim Hortons up here. Oh god, Boston Creme.

This. If you're serious, you must come to Canada for research. There is no donut but the Tim Horton donut. Although they have fallen in quality from their legendary past they are still top shelf.

Oh, and Krispey Kreme beats the shit out of the frozen batter crap they serve at Tim Hortons you fucking Canadian bitch.

You are wrong. That is all. (And not all Timmy's use the frozen crap anymore, they had a severe backlash).

[Nevermore]

California (despite spending around 3 months in the place I don't remember ever having real donuts).

This is kind of funny b/c for the 4+ years i spent in SoCal it felt like a burger and/or donut shop was every 50 feet or so.  We used to crack jokes about all these health nut Callies and their obesions with donuts and burgers.

If In-n-Out started to sell donuts, my heart would be so fucked.

Just think, you could dip them in one of those vanilla shakes.

[Mosesandstick]

I realised California was a bad place as soon as I found out what you could really order at In-N-Out.

[Yoru]

Are you one of those guys who buys a 20x20? Or, god forbid, the 100x100? 

[Mrbloodworth]

Dunkin' Donuts > Krispy Kreme

NO. DUNKIN DONUTS ARE CAKE. THEY ARE NOT DONUTS.

Negative. The only time a Krispy Kreme donuts is good is right out the oven, meaning 99.9.5% of the time, they suck. 

[Tale]

I'm keeping this thread as a memento for the coming years when many of us are out of work and hungry, and our kids don't know what a donut is.

[Murgos]

I'm keeping this thread as a memento for the coming years when many of us are out of work and hungry, and our kids don't know what a donut is.

It takes almost nothing to make a doughnut.  Flower, egg, yeast, water and some oil.  When everyone is out of work and hungry they'll all be eating doughnuts.

[Yoru]

Doughnuts are basically fancy fried dough, which used to be a staple food during the Great Depression. Hell, it was even in The Grapes of Wrath.

[Mosesandstick]

Are you one of those guys who buys a 20x20? Or, god forbid, the 100x100? 

I wish. I thought I was a big eater before I came to America. A double double animal with fries ANIMAL style is about as far as I'd ever go (too young for heart failure).

I felt emasculated in the US eating food, 'specially that time I shared a single burger from jack in the box with my brother (fuck those things are nasty). Or ordering a salad and not being able to finish it.

Back on track: what sells well in the US sure as hell doesn't mean it'll sell well anywhere else. Donuts are a huge risk.

[Oban]

Apparently Norwegians like large donuts with icing.

[Tale]

I'm keeping this thread as a memento for the coming years when many of us are out of work and hungry, and our kids don't know what a donut is.

It takes almost nothing to make a doughnut.  Flower, egg, yeast, water and some oil.  When everyone is out of work and hungry they'll all be eating doughnuts.

You forgot the entire sugar cane crop that tends to be added to each donut. Actually I've got the store brand name for this thread: Depression Donuts. They consist of flower, egg, yeast, water and some oil. And that's all you can have on your donut.

[Merusk]

I'm keeping this thread as a memento for the coming years when many of us are out of work and hungry, and our kids don't know what a donut is.

If we're out of work and hungry, we won't have the internet to show our kids this thread.

[Tale]

I'm printing it on a donut.

[Teleku]

My advice on opening a food service business: Don't. It is a very tough business with small margins. Just don't.

I'll actually have to second him on this somewhat.  My brother in law is a chef and has been working at restaurants since he was 15.  Its a cut throat business, and the only way it will survive is if you, the owner, are always on top of things.  As he mentioned, their are very narrow margins, so its easy to go into unrecoverable debt if something goes wrong, or the economy has a bad spell.  Now, what your proposing is much less complex than a full restaurant, so there are fewer variables, but you'll still have to work your ass off to keep on top of the accounting shit, the staff, business/legal paperwork, etc.

One thing you might want to consider, starting out, is to actually not have a store front.  Get the equipment you need and set up a kitchen to use somewhere to start creating your donuts.  Then make deals with as many buisness's as you can to set up racks in markets all over the place (as people mentioned, this is something Krispy Kreme does to great effect).  Also maybe do deliveries for buisness's/parties who call orders in.  This will allow you to perfect your donuts and see what people like, while keeping your opportunity cost fairly low (so if you do go bust, you don't lose as much).  If business is great, and people love your donuts, then open up a store.  There are actually quite a few bakeries I know of that do this.  They make the product, and let pre-established stores do the selling.

But again, Norway is a different business environment from America, so you'd know best if that's even possible.  But something to consider.

And Yes Aez, your confusing Vegan with Vegetarian.  Vegan products can't contain any product that came from an animal at all.  So yes, no milk, eggs, lard, etc.

[stray]

In this case, being Vegan doesn't necessarily make a donut healthier. It isn't the milk and eggs that make it bad. It's just that it's carb city, whatwith all of the sugar and flour. Nothing wrong with them occassionally, but the way people don't move enough, and how they're small enough to tempt someone into eating multiple portions, all adds up as a recipe for a fat ass.

[Xuri]

Donuts? What's all the fuss about?

*eats a slice of bread with Norwegian brown cheese on and is happy with that*

[Trippy]

Why would you people discourage him from spreading donuty goodness to other parts of the world? That's just wrong.

He could become the Donut King of Scandinavia or even all of Europe! And when that happens I'm sure he'll remember us little people that gave him encouragement back in the day

[stray]

I'm 1/8 norwegian. If that. I barely care. The rest of the Scandi blood is Danish. So perhaps I just want to see Danishes remain the Scandi people's pastry.

[Signe]

They make something in Scandinavia, maybe Sweden, that is kind of like a doughnut but it has cold mash in it.  I forget what it's named.  If no one knows the name of it, then this is a useless post.  Sorry. 

[Nevermore]

So just replace the 'cold mash' with yummy 'Boston cream'. 

[Signe]

So just replace the 'cold mash' with yummy 'Boston cream'. 

Thank you for making my post less useless! 

[Yegolev]

I know fuckall about donuts or how to make em.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56Fkaqcd9SA

[Yegolev]

Donuts? What's all the fuss about?

*eats a slice of bread with Norwegian brown cheese on and is happy with that*

You need a Krispy Kreme.

[Grimwell]

Honestly, come to America. Start in New York and track a trail to Chicago stopping in as many of the rust belt cities as you can to sample the donuts. Cross the waters to Toronto while you are at it to get the Canadian crack. Once you hit Chicago, grab a plane to the West Coast and make a trail from CA to CA (..nada to ..lifornia). Literally, Vancouver to San Diego. Again, eat donuts, especially all the little Asian joints here in SoCal.

Once that is done you will either be dead due to a shit diet, or you will totally grok donuts and know that you can take your country by storm. It won't be cheap, but it's an investment in learning donuts ninja style so you can make donuts awesome.

Eat Krispy Kreme, but only once. It's over rated sugar loafs. You need to understand the magic of why it's good (only when hot and fresh), but also understand why it's not good (eating at many real donut shops should do that).

[Bungee]

Just looked it up and: do you really call this

a "Bismarck" ?

Anyway, this is mostly what donuts you get in a McD or a BK taste like in the old world. Or better, like that left alone for a day. I always find myself drooling when someone in an American film/series eats donuts. I especially hate Dexter for this. Although I hate that series even more for the Seafood they always show off...

To add something to the topic- I guess it's safe to say that Donuts with icing and the little sprinkles are the most sought after in europe. So go from there :)

[photek]

Thanks a lot for all the links and words of wisdom, I've done quite some extensive research the last days including tasting several types of donuts in Copenhagen (Denmark) which were great. I also got tons of brochures, books and material on everything from donut equipment to how to make it in the food industry, which is a tough nut. Luckily here in my town people love new concepts and are actually willing to try and we have TONS of festivals, happenings and events starting May and lasting all the way to September (throughout the summer) which is a perfect timing for me to get started and get a huge kick-start. And I have to agree, old fashioned donuts are full of win.

[Oz]

if you open a donut shop and do Festivals, you should also do funnel cakes...mmmmmmm

[Bunk]

Just remember that the key to a successful donut shop is habitual repeat business. You want the people that stop somewhere for their morning coffee and a snack every day on the way to work, to stop at your place.

[Sky]

Yeah, environment is key for in-store customers, have wireless, etc. But also make sure you have a takeaway counter for folks on their way to work or whatever.

[Baldrake]

Nix the wireless. Doughnut shops don't make enough revenue per sale to justify people hanging out for any longer than it takes them to slurp down a coffee.

[Lantyssa]

if you open a donut shop and do Festivals, you should also do funnel cakes...mmmmmmm

Seconded.

[Sky]

Nix the wireless. Doughnut shops don't make enough revenue per sale to justify people hanging out for any longer than it takes them to slurp down a coffee.

Every local business would disagree. It's not about each sale, it's about creating a hangout. Repeat business. People get used to meeting there, to stopping by to do work, they're buying your product every day. The only place I would agree is if you're in a major metro and there's not enough seats to accommodate the patronage...and I'd still say lease a bigger space.

Wireless is a cheap and easy way to enhance repeat business and word of mouth, and everyplace here charges extra for it.

[Nevermore]

Ok, someone has to give photek the title 'The Donut Guy'. 

[Sky]

Yngwie don't like fuckin' donuts.

[stray]

haha