TC Taste periodically asks local restaurateurs to give us a preview of their new business. This week, Anne Rucker gives us a taste of her forthcoming south Minneapolis donut shop, Bogart Doughnut Co. (Check back next week for part 2.) Part II of the Bogart Doughnut Co. Story.
Part I: Taking the Leap
During the winter of 2010, I was an unhappily practicing attorney who baked, blogged, and fried doughnuts as a means to stay sane. After a nudge from a trusted friend, I decided to apply for a spot at the Kingfield farmers market, which turned out to be one of the best decisions I’d ever made. As all great ones do, this decision brought with it many moments of doubt. It quickly became heady, tiring work, which I anticipated but had never experienced. On the evenings before the market I would pour myself into bed after a full day of prep, set my alarm for midnight and pass out for three hours before groggily rising to spend the early morning hours cutting and frying doughnuts. It made me appreciate the staff at my local bakeries. It made me appreciate sleep. Yet, despite the dark circles under my eyes, I remained happy in the work and soon found this weekend-only project morphing into the beginnings of a full-fledged small business. I was gaining invaluable feedback and earning a loyal customer base, two things I couldn’t now imagine starting a brick and mortar doughnut shop without. The last three seasons I’ve spent selling at the market gave me affirmation that a retail location just might work.
When I mustered up enough guts to look for a spot, I took my time. Most of the spaces I looked at were too big, too expensive or just didn’t feel right. After a year of looking and just as I was beginning to doubt the entire prospect, the flower shop in my neighborhood (Amelia’s at 36th and Bryant in south Minneapolis) closed. The space it left was tiny, about 250 square feet on street level, but the moment I walked in I knew it was the one. Soon a lease was signed, and I was on my way to being the proud yet petrified owner of a doughnut shop.
Check out Part II of the Bogart Doughnut Co. story.
Coming soon!
Bogart’s Doughnut Co.
904 W 36th Street
Minneapolis 55408
facebook.com/bogartsdoughnutco
twitter.com/bogartsdoughnut
instagram.com/bogartsdoughnuts
