Whether you say “donut” or “doughnut,” you’re right. Both spellings label the fried ring of dough millions of Americans have enjoyed since Dutch settlers in New York first prepared the dessert in the 17th century. And Gainesville is no donut dessert desert.
Here’s a hole-in-one roundup of eight specialty donut place you can get your doughnut fix in town. While we all know donuts are enough to satisfy our sugar cravings on their own, these places offer plenty of other breakfast, bakery, or drink items to wash down the donut glaze.
- Location: 1130 NW 23rd Ave.
- Hours: 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday
- Named after the bear in Disney’s “The Jungle Book,” Baloo’s will mark one year of serving up customizable, made-to-order donuts in October. Customers can order in person or online signature flavors such as French toast, triple chocolate, jungle samoa and bare necessity, build their own cake-based donut from a variety of coatings, toppings and drizzles, and wash it all down with specialty coffee. Owners Brandon Grabhorn and Jason Garrett opened the part-single-story building, part-food truck shop after working together at Grabhorn’s other business, B’z Gelati, which he hopes to bring into Baloo’s in the future. Grabhorn said even though the made-to-order donuts take a little longer, they’re worth the wait.
- Location: 3822 Newberry Rd. Ste. D
- Hours: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Saturday
- Mochiry’s donuts bring the trending blend of mochi donuts to Gainesville. The Japanese dessert mochi combined with the American donut makes these rice flour-based donuts crispier on the outside and chewier on the inside. The mochi donuts are fried inside of a bubble-ring mold to give them their signature waves. On top of mochi donuts, Mochiry also offers other bakery and restaurant treats such as traditional mochi, rice hot dogs and ramen. After only one year in Gainesville, Mochiry’s success stateside has already led one investor to open 10 more locations in Saudi Arabia.
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