The University campus lacks the trademark of a college town, the locale for extensive metaphorical discussions and sugar gorging, a donut shop. What a Waffle House is to the South and a Starbucks is to every city block, outlets for donuts represent a necessary luxury for all college students. When the late night munchies cannot be quenched by just any sweet pastry, Ann Arbor students are left scrambling in the current void of donut cafes.
Popular chains have yet to bank on the thousands of hungry and sugar addicted residents of Ann Arbor. In fact, Krispy Kreme fans must traverse to North Campus to purchase them at the Kroger on Plymouth Road. This popular, North Carolina- based brand is a favorite of first year doctoral candidate Manuel Chinchilla, whose favorite donuts are “apple-filled donuts from Krispy Kreme.” A Honduran native, Chinchilla commented that the lack of donut shops in Ann Arbor was surprising since, “We have Dunkin’ Donuts in Honduras.”
A culprit for the lack of donut shops can be attributed to the health conscious student population. LSA freshman Lauren O’Leary, while a fan of “anything with frosting,” says the lack of local donut outlets is “probably good for me, cause I don’t need the extra sugar.” Michigan has repeatedly ranked as one of the fattest states in the nation. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 61 percent of Michigan residents are overweight, which can be explained by the statistics that only one in five young adults in Michigan eats the minimum daily recommendation of five fruits and vegetables.
New years’ resolutions also play a role in students’ decisions to abstain from the donut realm. LSA sophomore Matthew Hollerbach started to deny himself donuts since before the turn of the year because he is “trying to eat healthy and get in shape.”
Students such as LSA freshman Ryan Butts have had bad experiences working at donut shops. Butts testified that while his job at Dunkin’ Donuts allowed him to consume his favorite kind of donuts, Boston Kreme, the work was not very fulfilling. “It was my first job and it was kind of a crappy job.”
The only 24-hour donut shop, Campus Donut Cafe on E. Williams Street, while given the coveted Michigan Daily “Best New Local Business” award in 2000, closed within the year. A few locations remain where students may purchase donuts, some include Tim Hortons in the Michigan League, which has the added bonus of accepting Entr