New Donut Business Expands

Fans of Sugar Creek Donuts, which has been selling frosted and glazed donuts via Facebook, might be pleased to learn that business founder Hanah Meldrum will also now be selling donuts in the parking lot of Yoke's every weekend. Meldrum said she started the business two months ago, but it was nothing she planned to do.

Meldrum, who has been a teacher at Chase Middle School for several years, has been on maternity leave for the last few months and found herself making donuts for her other children. "I've been wanting to get them donuts on a Sunday morning, so I just started making them," she said. She said she made enough to share with friends and family, who soon began requesting them. Word of her donuts spread and Meldrum decided to start selling them; she said she set up a Facebook page allowing people to request the amount and flavors. Orders have been coming in steadily ever since, Meldrum said, and she delivers her donuts within the Deer Park zip code or meets people for pickup.

"It's not on demand," she said. "It's usually the next day." Meldrum and her husband settled in Deer Park after he retired from military service. The couple had previously come to the area to visit family. "We kept visiting and visiting and just fell in love with the area," she said. Meldrum makes a classic glazed donut, though she has many different flavor options for the glaze. She said she's trying to keep it simple and affordable. "I don't really want to be one of those luxury donut places.

I want to be real and something every parent can afford." At the beginning, she said she brought several different flavors of donuts to the Yoke's parking lot and offered free samples in exchange for feedback. The flavor that consistently got top marks was lemon. "That had the most positive feedback," she said. The original plain glazed is still her top seller, however, with lemon glazed coming in second. Her next most popular flavor is strawberry. Her other offerings include banana, blue coconut, blueberry, maple, and chocolate. And, of course, there are sprinkles. The donuts are priced at $20 for a dozen or $10 for a half dozen. Meldrum said she also has singles priced at $2.50 per donut, but said no one has ever purchased one by itself.

That may change once people can pick up a couple on whim when she has a limited number of pre-made donuts available on the weekends, she said. Meldrum added that most Saturdays and Sundays she will be in the Yoke's parking lot, but she may occasionally go to Bob Mart, located by the round- about near the high school. Meldrum said she plans to post which location she will visit and how many donuts she has on the Sugar Creek Donuts Facebook page.

Businesses in Deer Park also have the option to join the Donut Office Club and get donuts delivered on Fridays at a discount. Club orders can be placed weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly. Meldrum said she doesn't have any employees yet. "Right now I'm able to do it because we haven't scaled up that much yet," she said. Her goal is to open a food truck within the next six to nine months, then scale up to a brick and mortar store once business increases enough. "The online orders are pretty consistent," she said.

"We're excited to grow it even more." For now people can try to catch her on the weekends or place an order via the web link on her Facebook page. Meldrum said she has already decided not to return to teaching so she can focus on growing her business. "We are so excited," she said. "This is new for us, new for Deer Park. The community has been so supportive, so kind."