I have vivid memories of a file cabinet drawer filled with cereal, crayons and coloring books, and a tiny 6 inch TV that we plugged in to watch Sesame Street as we sat on the flour bags. Many naps were taken there, pulling out sleeping bags from who knows where. The smell of donuts and coffee are permanently etched into my brain, triggering memories that last a lifetime.
After 40 years, my parents are hanging up their hats in the donut and ice cream business. This is a day I was never quite sure would ever come, but here it is. Married May 8, 1976, they went on a brief honeymoon to Clear Lake, IA. The next week, they opened the Mr. Donut in Austin, MN. 3 years later, my brother and I were born, prompting a cute editoral in the Austin Daily Herald about how kids were cheaper by the dozen. Ha!
My childhood was shaped by this store. We spent a lot of time there, helping with cleaning jobs, passing time playing on our dad’s computer, and eventually working in the store. I have distinctive memories of the annual downtown Crazy Days sales, carting donuts, coffee, and lemonade from the store to our little shed on Main Street in a cute wagon wearing our Mr. Donut t-shirts and hats. I recall the insanity of working on the 4th of July while the parade went right in front of the store, selling out of donuts by noon and picking up garbage for hours after the crowds cleared out. I remember going on wedding cake deliveries with my dad, watching him construct elaborate cakes complete with fountains (hello, 80s).
I also remember when my parents told me they were going to change the brand from Mr. Donut to Dunkin Donuts, and along with that came the new and exciting world of Baskin Robbins Ice Cream! I was in middle school, and this felt like an exciting time. Everything was new and fancy.
I remember working part time during my high school years. Back then, smoking was still allowed in restaurants. Every afternoon, there would be a group of older gentlemen sitting at the coffee bar, chain smoking and having their usual daily orders.
A coffee with two creamers and an old fashioned donut.
Coffee, black, and a maple long john.
A medium Mountain Dew with a Boston Creme.
I knew all their orders by heart and treasured the 25¢ tips they would leave me. I also perfected my favorite treats- a couple chocolate donut holes warmed up in the microwave for 10 seconds. Just long enough to be melty and gooey. And I can’t forget the childhood favorites- the infamous donuts on a stick. I can remember putting my nose to the glass of the fancies case, picking out the pink dipped with sprinkles. Once I was making them, they were far less exciting…
The store provided at major life events. Donuts on Christmas morning; a special bunny cake at Easter; and best of all, a tub of my favorite chocolate-peanut butter ice cream at my graduation party and sundaes at my wedding reception. I knew I could always count on these.
While we lived in Phoenix, it was hard to keep up with what was going on at the store. At some point, my parents changed the brand again, now to the current Donut Connection and Kaleidoscoops Ice Cream. When we moved back to town, it was like nothing had changed. Except now, I could go into the store at night and not be recognized as “the boss’s daughter.” Which made me happy.
It is tough to say goodbye to a place that was central to your entire lifetime. A new family is coming in to take the baton. They will form their own family memories in this store. I will look back on life lessons learned, people met, and memories made with contentment for what was. I will cheer on this new family for what they will make their own. My husband jokes that we will also now pay full price…. I think I may have to adjust our “donut budget.” I can’t wait to support the new owners as they make it their own.
Congratulations, Mom and Dad, as you retire and enter a new chapter in your lives. Sleep in. Be lazy. You’ve more than earned it.
Love, Grace, and Friends 