The Best Family-Owned Doughnut Shop In Every Region
Family-owned doughnut shops are a timeworn American tradition, rooted in generational recipes and a dedication to community and quality. Like old-school diners and burger joints, there's a comforting sense of Americana about a homey doughnut shop steeped in scratch-made tradition, be it a classic chocolate cake doughnut or inventive twists made with local ingredients and out-of-the-box ideas.
As an avowed sweet tooth and doughnut-lover, I try to seek out independent bakeries anywhere I'm traveling, following suggestions from local news outlets, national awards, and loyal customers to find the best of the best. This is particularly true for doughnut shops.
In every region of the U.S., from a vegan bakery in Maine to a taro-based fan-favorite in Hawaii, some of the most acclaimed doughnut shops are family-run businesses with a palpable sense of heart and soul. Combining my own cherished experiences on my travels with national accolades and rave reviews from customers, I've found that these are the best family-owned doughnut shops in every region.
New England: Lovebirds Donuts
A true love story, Lovebirds Donuts started in Kittery, Maine, in 2019, by husband and wife, Ryan MacDougall and Tamara Monroe. The pair drew from their respective upbringings, working in restaurants, to create a pretty-in-pink bakery adorned with sprinkled walls, bird decorations, and a sign that reads "Come and Get Your Love." The menu is 100% vegan, covering classics and original flavors alike, using doughs, fillings, and toppings all scratch-made. Since my brother lives down the street, I've been able to return several times for my favorite flavors like Boston cream pie in a brioche shell, chocolate raspberry with a swirl of raspberry buttercream, blueberry cream, and maple and smoked coconut.
Local publications call the donuts awesome, and customers offer widespread acclaim for the friendly service, cool decor, and fun flavors, with one reviewer stating, "I am not by any stretch vegan, and these are still the best donuts I've ever had!" There's another location just over the New Hampshire border in Portsmouth.
(207) 703-2392
450 US-1, Kittery, ME 03904
Mid-Atlantic: Beiler's Doughnuts
One of the best Amish bakeries in Pennsylvania, Beiler's Doughnuts is also one of the best family-owned doughnut shops in the country. With locations in Lancaster, Philadelphia, and Maryland, USA Today raves about the shop's Amish baking, while Bon Appétit praises its generations of baking — and frying — traditions. Since the bakery's founding as a small doughnut stand in Pennsylvania Dutch country, the Beiler family has kept those traditions alive by making everything from scratch, using family recipes passed down through generations.
Made fresh every morning, doughnuts run the gamut from timeless classics — like cinnamon sugar and glazed cake doughnuts — to colorful creations such as chocolate Fruity Pebbles, peanut butter jelly, pumpkin crème, and the Dream Crème (a crème-filled doughnut dipped in chocolate and drizzled with icing). The doughnuts are so popular that they sell thousands each day at Reading Terminal Market, so line up early to get your fix.
Multiple locations
Southeast: Hole Doughnuts
Named Bon Appétit's doughnut of the year and declared the best doughnut in North Carolina by Food & Wine, Hole Doughnuts is a sensation in the foodie city of Asheville, owned by husband and wife Hallee Hirsh and Ryan Martin. Doughnuts are made to order and fryer-fresh, from tried-and-true flavors like vanilla glazed and cinnamon sugar to rotating novelties like toasted almond sesame cinnamon, beet and goat cheese, and banana bread. Come fall, look for inventive riffs on seasonal flavors, like pumpkin sorghum, which offers a fresh spin on pumpkin spice.
In addition to the original flavors, I love the wholesome look of the doughnuts too. Eschewing perfect circles, the funky-shaped doughnuts are clearly made from scratch. Hole Doughnuts was ranked as one of the top doughnut shops in the U.S. by Yelp, where customers rave about "the best doughnuts I've ever had."
(828) 774-5667
168 Haywood Rd., Asheville, NC 28806
Midwest: Wall Drug
One of my favorite travel traditions is visiting Wall Drug for doughnuts before hiking in nearby Badlands National Park. Located in western South Dakota, where Wall Drug billboards stretch for hundreds of miles, the roadside attraction is nearly as iconic as the national park, beckoning road-trippers for souvenirs, shops, restaurants, kitschy photo ops, and notably, homemade doughnuts. Wall Drug was founded as a modest drugstore in 1931 by the Hustead family, advertising free ice water on roadside signs. Today, the complex has expanded beyond its drugstore roots to include shops, animatronics, art galleries, and more, but the small-batch doughnuts — classic cake varieties frosted with chocolate, vanilla, or maple — are the star attraction, selling nearly 1 million annually.
The doughnuts are considered a Black Hills gem, made by hand right in front of customers, and they've become one of South Dakota's quintessential foods. USA Today cites the doughnuts as a reason why Wall Drug has become a famous roadside attraction.
(605) 279-2175
510 Main St., Wall, SD 57790
Southwest: Whoo's Donuts
My personal pick for the best doughnut shop in the U.S. is Whoo's Donuts, and critics agree. Food & Wine named the Santa Fe bakery the best in New Mexico, and Forbes called it one of the best in the country.
Family-owned and operated, the pint-sized shop features a stunning variety of flavors, all made from scratch using the freshest ingredients. Many of those ingredients are locally sourced and inspired, including the popular — and my favorite — blue corn blueberry lavender, which marries a subtly earthy tone from the blue corn with the bright, juicy flavor of blueberry, and a hint of lavender. Other New Mexico originals include green chile apple fritters, blue corn maple pecan doughnuts, and red chile bacon toffee doughnuts. Customers call the donuts extraordinary and creative, and Whoo's Donuts is a requisite stop any time I'm in Santa Fe.
(505) 629-1678
851 Cerrillos Rd. B, Santa Fe, NM 87505
The Rocky Mountains: Guru Donuts
The foremost family-owned doughnut shop in the Rocky Mountains, Guru Donuts, has been praised as the best in Idaho by Food & Wine, and the best in Boise for several years running. After opening as a buzzy "donut speakeasy" in 2021, the shop is now helmed by married couple Krystle and Evan McLaughlin, who keep the fanfare thriving with a dizzying variety of classic and quirky flavors, as well as ample vegan options, and — perfect for Boise — gluten-friendly doughnuts made from potatoes.
On my two visits to Guru Donuts, I've tried fun flavors like Hipsterberry with a blackberry, blueberry, and lavender glaze, and the colorful Alice in Wonderland, with vanilla glaze and birthday cake crumble. The decor is homey and comfy, outfitted with plants, couches, and artwork, and customers have lots of love for the killer-good donuts, friendly service, chill vibe, and vegan options.
(208) 571-7792
928 W. Main St. #100, Boise, ID 83702
Pacific Coastal: Holey Grail Donuts
What started as a small doughnut operation out of a food truck in Kauai has emerged as one of the best family-owned doughnut shops in the U.S. Holey Grail Donuts comes from brother-sister team Nile and Hana Dreiling, who launched a bustling food truck business in Hanalei before planting a flagship doughnut shop in Honolulu and expanding to Los Angeles.
A true love letter to the region, taro-based doughnuts are made to order, using Hawaiian-grown taro and other local ingredients like cacao and Fera fruit oil (a palm fruit naturally rich in healthy fats and antioxidants) for frying. USA Today praises the doughnuts as sophisticated yet whimsical, using homemade recipes like strawberry with green tea swirl, dragonfruit passion fruit, miso honey, pandan, and Hawaiian vanilla bean glaze with charcoal streusel. Customers clamor for the doughnuts, calling them delicious and cakey without being overly sweet.
Multiple locations
Methodology
From old-school institutions and roadside icons to whimsical recipes and contemporary bakeries rooted in local ingredients, these seven family-run doughnut shops span the country to exemplify the best of America's longstanding doughnut traditions. Inspired by my most memorable experiences at doughnut shops I've visited for years, I've found that the best ones offer something for everyone, local ingredients specific to the region, and classic flavors done best. Through all the icing and glazes, there's a palpable sense of homegrown pride in doughnut shops that are family-owned, in particular. Whether these are shops that have been handed down through generations, or they're newer spots helmed by married couples, you can practically taste the tradition in each finger-licking bite.
Of all the family-run doughnut shops I love, I chose these seven based on accolades and awards from national outlets (Bon Appétit, Food & Wine, and USA Today), and the sheer number of rave reviews. It's clear I'm not the only one who thinks these doughnut shops are the best of the bunch.