“When we moved here, [downtown] West Chester didn’t have a donut shop,” Beth Campbell told me of how she and her husband Justin came to own a donut shop. (There was, of course, also the love of baking and meeting new people.) That was eight years ago and until this morning that statement has remained true. Well, no more. Today, West Chester has a donut shop.
Literally today. Rose’s Little Donuts opened at 7 a.m. this morning on 22 N. Darlington Street.
“We wanted to be able to bring fun donuts and good coffee and build a community around our space,” said Beth.
The “space” began last August with the purchase and renovation of the hundred-year-old building. Remodeling started with the exterior structure and the upstairs apartment before the Campells could make the move from sushi (this was the former home of Bon, Bon Sushi) to donut shop. Now the space is filled with a sweeping counter, sleek new coffee maker, bakery racks, and a mechanical donut maker that drops perfectly-sized circles onto a conveyor belt where they are cooked to light golden brown. Despite all the shiny and new, the shop has a throwback vibe with a wall of white subway tiles and black accents punctuated with pops of teal and a fun wall-length coral and teal donut mural.
“We now feel so good about the space,” said Beth.
The donuts are little – 2 ½” across – and will be available in a variety of rotating flavors. There will be a specialty donut that is made in big morning batches then standard flavors that are replenished fresh throughout the day. All the donuts will be cake – there is just not enough room in the small kitchen to allow for rising and frying -but that shouldn’t be a problem. Beth and Justin already have a growing list of flavors in the works.
“Smores with chocolate icing and mini marshmallows, lemon meringue, pistachio, maybe a seasonal flavor like pumpkin?” Beth offered. “We’d like to do a spicy donut like a hot honey, and maple-bacon-peanut butter is a favorite of Justin,” she said. The donuts will come in boxes of four, 12, or 16 and while purchasing one at a time is possible, they are “little” donuts for a reason.
“We want people to be able to try the flavors,” said Beth. “We want to make it easier to share.”
Note: There is not a lot of indoor seating. The back patio has been refurbished for use during the warmer months but for now, service is primarily grab-and-go.
Originally published, Nov. 17, 2023
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