The proliferation of donut shops in town is telling — donuts are here to stay, and for good reason. A fresh, hot donut is a ticket to simpler times, a handheld comfort on par with Grandma’s crocheted blanket. It’s a throwback, an affordable pleasure, a yummy a.m. or p.m. pick-me-up that makes a cup of coffee want to be the best version of itself.
The team behind Lily’s Donuts & Coffee, now open at Santa Barbara Public Market, honors that place within the psyche where donuts reside. Flavors here are fun, updated takes on retro tastes — cinnamon roll, Mad Men Old Fashioned, Butter Cake Sea Salt — made with premium ingredients by a French pastry chef who happens to hold a black belt in judo. The nostalgia factor at Lily’s is key, but so is the quality.
“It’s an indulgent thing, a splurge for sure, but it doesn’t have to be unnatural,” says Omar Khashen, a partner with Komron Tarkeshian, two friends since elementary school. The concept came about while waiting out the permit and building process of The Ellwood in Goleta, where Khashen is cofounder. Gary Coburn, the semi-retired industry legend behind the likes of Cheesecake Factory, P.F. Chang’s, and Joe’s Crab Shack is also on board for this circular treat ride…