Spudnut Shop

You can reply to Sbuddies by emailing them at douglas_bagley@yahoo.com. He has the original recipe, made in Salt Lake City, UT, and is making the dough to sell.

I recently, May, 2006, got some spudnuts at the shop in Amarillor, TX. They are the real thing. Two really nice folks run it. I asked for the recipe and was told it involves TLC. No doubt.

I live about 8 to 10 hours from Amarillo but I think it would be worth the trip just to taste a Spudnut again. I remember them (can almost taste them) from the shop in Forth Worth, Texas at the corner of Camp Bowie Blvd and West 7th Street. This was in the very late 40s or very early 50s. I started driving in 1954 and the shop was gone by then. It boggles my mind that Krspy Kream, which can't hold a candle to Spudnuts, is such a success and Spudnuts folded. Guess that is why the marketing guys make the big bucks.

See the SPUDNUTS MUSEUM!
- Saturday, June 24, 2006: 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.
- Open one day only as part of a HUGE Home and Garden Tour in Lafayette, Indiana

Ticket info: www.ninthstreethill.org

VISIT the largest collection of SPUDNUTS artifacts and ephemra in the world!
ALL IN ONE LOCATION:
- Spudnuts & Coffee NEON sign
- Spudnuts CLOCKS (any time is Spudnuts time!)
- A huge wall of framed ads dating back to the 1940s.
- Spudnuts china from original shops
- Spudnuts sacks, hats, boxes, matchbooks, postcards, etc.
- Spudnuts LP RECORD
- Original RECIPIES (yum!)
- MAGAZINE articles about the Pelton brothers and the franchise
- Pictures of some of the old (and current) SPUDNUTS SHOPS
- An actual HAT worn by a Spudnuts owner! (oh, my!)
- And MORE stuff than you ever knew existed - a phenomenal collection!

A special treat: you can watch the soon-to-be-released movie: "SPUDNUTS: THE MOCKUMENTARY"

Out-of town guests to the museum that day will have the opportunity to register for a museum give-away: your own piece of Spudnuts history! (start your own collection?)

Hope to see you on the 24th!

Well, that went well, didn't it? Sigh. My Mom and Dad owned a Spudnut Shoppe in Del Rio, Texas, for a couple of years. Neither had a great deal of business acumen and my Dad turned out to be allergic to yeast. I was a sophomore in Del Rio High, (Go, Wildcats!) and I worked at the shop. My hours were 0030, to the shop, start the first batch. About 0200 start the second batch, another at 0300, and another at 0400. Meanwhile, between mixing begin to cut the spudnuts. We usually did 30 dozen batches. At 0800, off to school. I was in school until 1530, then back to the shop until about 2200. That left me with 2.5 hours to sleep. Needless to say, my sophomore year was not a bright shining example of academic skill. I'm sure everyone remembers Wolfman Jack? He worked then for radio station XERF, transmitters across the river in Villa Acuna, Mexico, 250,000 watts of clear channel power. He would stop in our shop every morning about 0600 for two spudnuts and three cups of coffee, the last one to go. My family finally sold the shop and it folded completely a couple of years later, just not enough market demand. I REALLY loved the fried fruit pies!

From the list posted before

the spudnuts on tyndall parkway in panama city florida is no longer



it was there this spring but during father's day weekend I was there and looking forward to eating some spudnuts and it was a campaign office.

I am going to look up the 23rd street location in august while I am there visiting again. I will ask my granny to check on the other two (thomas drive locations) as they are in panama city beach area and she lives in that area.

LONG LIVE SPUDNUTS!!!!!!

The Spudnut Shop in Richland Washington is alive and well. Everyone from Richland loves the Spudnut Shop!!

Can you please tell me how I could find out information about obtaining a Spudnut Shop franchise? We are moving to the Cincinnati, Ohio area in the future and I would like to try something like this. We have a Spudnut shop here in El Dorado, Arkansas where I currently live and they are to die for.

Linda Wilso

quote:

Originally posted by golfer

quote:

Originally posted by SPUDDIE

SPUDNUT DONUTS ARE THE BEST

I OWN A SPUDNUT SHOP IN BEREA, OHIO AND WE STILL MAKE THEM THE ORIGINAL WAY. I HAVE INFO ON THE SPUDNUT MUSEUM. IT IS IN LAFFEYTE,IND.,IF YOU WANT EMAIL ME AND I CAN GIVE YOU MORE INFO. WE SUPPLIED 10 DOZEN OF OUR SPUDNUT DONUTS FOR THE MUSEUM GRAND OPENING 2 YEARS AGO,EVERYBODY REALLY LOVED THEM. WELL GOT TO GO MAKE THE DOUGHNUTS.

RICK

We here in Charlottesville truly love our Spudnut shop. Other doughnut shops have come and gone and Spudnut is still alive and kicking. Even Krispy Kreme couldn't make it here. The only bad thing is that it is not open on Sundays. Wow, a cup of coffee, a spudnut and the Sunday paper...what could be better than that? lol But if you want a spudnut here you have to go EARLY! They sell out quick! Take note that the original glazed is perfection of course but they also have a wonderful blueberry cake donut. You will also have to try their Apple Fritters and Bearclaws! Oh shucks tomorrow is Sunday and I can't get a SPUDNUT!!!!!

There was a Spudnut Shop in Newton Falls, OH in the 1960's. My mother worked in a dry cleaners at one end of a five store plaza and at the other end was the Spudnut Shop. We would go in every morning before I went to school and get a cup of coffee with double cream and two donuts. (I think they made my coffee with more warm milk than coffee.) Anyway, I was told that you had to be Mormon to own a Spudnut Franchise. I don't think whether a person is Mormon or not made any difference in the way the donuts tasted, we thought the donuts were the BEST anywhere! Anything since, just doesn't cut it! If you know of a Spudnut Shop in Northeast Ohio, let me know!! Thanks

quote:

Originally posted by tootsie77

I was told that you had to be Mormon to own a Spudnut Franchise. I don't think whether a person is Mormon or not made any difference in the way the donuts tasted, we thought the donuts were the BEST anywhere! Anything since, just doesn't cut it! If you know of a Spudnut Shop in Northeast Ohio, let me know!! Thanks

I grew up in a heavily LDS community and the local Spudnut franchise was held by a very devout Mormon family. It may well have been their (Spudnut's) business practice. I have never found doughnuts anywhere that were as enjoyable as the Spudnuts of my youth. Maple frosted, still warm and dripping icing, are one of my favorite childhood memories.

Great to hear there are still Spudnut shops in existence! A reader mentioned seeing one in Grand Junction, Colorado. My parents were the original owners of that franchise in 1968.

We were just going through some old stuff and happened upon a promotional album that was either given away or sold at the shop. "Spudnuts presents Tijuana Taxi." It has a Mexican band in a jalopy on the front, and the tires are donuts. One of the bandmembers has just gone into the Spudnut shop in the background and his passing out Spudnuts to his delighted band-mates. I always thought it was Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass playing on it, but realize now the songs were performed by other musicians.

(The album caused me to do an online search).

The history is on the back and echoes what the Museum posters have indicated. Apparently there were more than 400 locations (in 1968).

Just like another reader here, the early morning hours required in the business nearly killed my dad, so they sold the shop after a year. But it was very successful while they had it. It was across from the high school. My father had my sister and her friends (9 year olds) selling Spudnuts door-to-door on their bicycles. Plus, he had me (5 years old) in a starched uniform and peaked cap, helping him separate the dough from the doughnuts after it went through the cutting machine. Customers apparently loved this.

My sister and I will have to try some of these other locations and see if they still taste like we remember. Even though they felt compelled to sell the shop, owning it was one of my dad's proudest accomplishments.

There is a spudnut shop in Charlottesville VA. Donuts are good but honestly hard to tell the difference between those and 'regular' good donuts.

Here's a list of all the Spudnut shops:

http://spudnutshop.com/

After reading this thread I asked myself why I havent tried the Spudnuts one mile from my home. Its been there forever. I always go to Pam's donuts. Well this morning I gave Spudnuts a try. I got there at 7 am and the donuts were cold unlike Pam's. I got the basics such as glazed, chocolate raised, cinnamon roll and blueberry filled. I must say I was not impressed. They werent bad. They were fresh and tasty and very similar to say Winchells. But they were no where in the league of Pam's nor Krispy Kremes. Im sure it has alot to do with the ownership but one things for sure since I moved to Southern California 7 years ago, most of the so called institutions have been overrated.

quote:

Originally posted by meowzart

. . . a glazed donut, pure perfection in its simplicity, just one lone one sitting on a table.

That's how I remember the actual sign--marquee or whatever, with pink, red, or blue neon--outside the store I went to as a kid.

quote:

Originally posted by yuppicide

Here's a list of all the Spudnut shops:

http://spudnutshop.com/

Could you please tell me where the newest Spudnut Shoppe opened in 2006. Maybe I could contact them to see how or where they got a franchise. I would like to check in to opening a shop here.

quote:

Originally posted by kaylalura

Can you please tell me how I could find out information about obtaining a Spudnut Shop franchise? We are moving to the Cincinnati, Ohio area in the future and I would like to try something like this. We have a Spudnut shop here in El Dorado, Arkansas where I currently live and they are to die for.

Linda Wilson

quote:

Originally posted by golfer

quote:

Originally posted by SPUDDIE

SPUDNUT DONUTS ARE THE BEST

I OWN A SPUDNUT SHOP IN BEREA, OHIO AND WE STILL MAKE THEM THE ORIGINAL WAY. I HAVE INFO ON THE SPUDNUT MUSEUM. IT IS IN LAFFEYTE,IND.,IF YOU WANT EMAIL ME AND I CAN GIVE YOU MORE INFO. WE SUPPLIED 10 DOZEN OF OUR SPUDNUT DONUTS FOR THE MUSEUM GRAND OPENING 2 YEARS AGO,EVERYBODY REALLY LOVED THEM. WELL GOT TO GO MAKE THE DOUGHNUTS.

RICK

Would you please e-mail me at: kaylalura@yahoo.com and let me know how and where you obtained a franchise. I am very interested in opening a Spudnut Shoppe here in Indiana.

I've had Spudnuts from both El Dorado and Magnolia this week. (and pig-in-a-blanket) They are and have always been the best. I realize some folks don't like them, like I can't stand seafood. Maybe it's a tastebud issue, maybe it's just preference - but most people greatly prefer Spudnuts over doughnuts. Might as well make them with Pla-Doh. KK is just nasty.

I have a friend who only likes them refrigerated, which is probably the weirdest preference I know of. Have you tried them with jalapenos?

Kaylalura,

Try calling one of the stores listed on the spudnut site and ask them about franchising.

My wife's grandmother Yvonne Harris is now 102 years of age. She and her husband Harold "Babe" owned the spudnut shop in Lethbridge Alberta Canada. They sold the shop to Wolfgang Otto in the late forties. The shop still has the spudnut name on it, but they now sell fancy cakes and desserts. On Tuesdays and Thursdays Wolfgang comes into the shop and whips up a batch of spudnuts. We took Yvonne and my kids there last Tuesday (7/3/2007) and enjoyed a dozen spudnuts. They are best eaten when fresh and warm...

There were two spudnut shops in Logan Utah where I was raised. Pete's and Blake's Spudnut. I would visit Pete's on a regular basis while out on my paper route, or walking home from Church. They also made great burgers, shakes, and fries.

Does that bring back my youth. I was a spudnut delivery boy, it was my first job, paid ok for being a kid too. plus you got to eat the best food in the world. I grew up in Dumas Texas, sorry to say the one there closed, but the bright side is there are several surrounding towns. I think i feel a vaction coming on.

OMG! Spudnuts! I love them! I used to travel the Pacific North West back in the mid 60's. I could never pass a Spudnut place without stopping and buying some. They are kinda like a "comfort food" treat.
We never had anything like them growing up in NY.

quote:

Originally posted by coffeeguy

Originally posted by Milt

I just noticed this topic and took a walk down memory lane. I grew up in Farmington, New Mexico and there was a Spudnut Shop there in 1951 when we arrived. I left Farmington, and moved to Georgia, in 1982 - and the Spudnut Shop was still operating. The Jolley family owned it that whole time.

I grew up in Farmington, too. I don't believe the Spudnut business was owned by Mormons, but a lot of franchises were. I happen to be working on a potato flour recipe for spudnuts to serve in a coffeehouse I now own. Let me tell ya, Mr.Jolley earned every penny. I remember him flippin' those 'nuts over a hot fryer back in the '60s when I was at Tibbets Jr High. It had to be a tough job. I'm close to getting it right, but am amazed at how precise taste memory can be 38 or 40 years after the fact. I'm using Maplette to flavor the glaze which may be too refined. I suspect one of the secrets was the use of more available ingredients and lower cost ones. We'll keep testing.

Anyone here has probably seen this, but just in case here's a link that has some neat old photos:
http://www.goldenlandmarks.com/museum/spudnuts/pages/spudnuts1.htm

My dad & an uncle of my mothers opened a Spudnut shop in the early 50's in Monroe, MI. They were very good but at my young age(5) I did not frequent the shop much. Comfort food...nothing like it made from scratch these days.
My father had just been discharged from the USMC as chief cook(staff sgt).He nievely allowed the uncle to handle the business while he operated the bakery. Sadly the uncle cashed in leaving my dad with nothing but unemployment & 5 mouths to feed.

whr can I get some spudnuts?

Oh by the way Im in Southern California Help me out here richrudy@msn.com

I remember the one on Broadway in Boulder, Colorado in the 50's. It was a special treat for Dad to bring home on a busy Saturday morning. My husband remembers a neighbor buying them in bulk and going door to door to sell them. Nothing tastes like a spudnut.