Photo from Dottie’s Donuts Facebook page.

If you’ve been to Little Baby’s Ice Cream, Mariposa Food Coop or Green Line Cafe, you’ve probably seen a Dottie’s Donut on the counter display. This Philadelphia startup has been churning out 50 different flavors of vegan donuts for the past year, and distributing them to other businesses, but for the very first time, Dottie’s Donuts will finally have its own brick and mortar store – at 4531 Springfield Avenue.

Owners Jeff Poleon and Matt Quinn don’t like advertising their products as vegan because they don’t want to alienate the non-vegan market. “After years of working in the food industry, we realized that there were a lot of assumptions about vegan foods,” explained Poleon. “So when we decided to start our business, we decided it was just a donut.”

They crafted a recipe out of coconut milk and a natural egg substitute, which is almost indistinguishable from a typical donut recipe. “Vegan is a bonus point. Kind of broadens our customer base,” Poleon added.

The shop will finally allow the owners to interact with their customers face-to-face. They lauded the Philadelphia population for being “more accepting” and adventurous when it comes to trying new foods than other places. The shop will give the team behind Dottie’s a chance to directly discuss their vision with their audience. 

The new location will provide access to a bigger kitchen and will offer flavors such as Boston Creme, Maple Bacon Buns (cinnamon-bun style donuts with seitan bacon and maple syrup), apple fritters and some classic donut shop varieties. But there’s more: they will also have bagels and a variety of vegan cream cheeses available, as well as coffee from Elixr coffee roaster. Longer term plans include pre-made sandwiches and to-go lunches in addition to preserves and nut butters.

Dottie’s Donuts is expected to open its door to customers by February 15. Check their Facebook page for updates.

– Rana Fayez