Sweetwater’s Donut Mill in Kalamazoo, Mich., is legendary — not just here in Michigan, or the Midwest, but it has a national reputation. It was named to the Saveur 100 list a few years ago, for its high quality, affordable pastries.
With three outlets in Kalamazoo amd nearby Battle Creek, it was a 24-hour destination for kids, students, seniors and everyone in between.
Sweetwater’s is known for a generous birthday discount — buy six, get six free — of which I took advantage last year. Yes, I drove more than 100 miles round-trip in the pandemic to get free donuts.
But, as with many businesses, the pandemic has forced some significant changes. Among them: Sweetwater’s is no longer open 24 hours. If you don’t get there during daylight, you’ll miss out on its 50 rotating varieties.
And, yes there are that many types of donuts, plus fritters, muffins and other “fancies” as its non-donut offerings are called.
Sweetwater’s is an example of how Covid has forced so many businesses to give up features that were part of their brands.
Many varieties — and challenges
I wrote about Sweetwater’s in this newsletter in August 2020, but here’s a quick recap if you missed that issue.
Sweetwater’s doughnuts straddle the line between cheap and chic. They’re far higher quality than Dunkin Donuts or something you’d find in a grocery store. Sweetwater’s was founded by the Garner family in 1983, and multiple generations have worked in and managed its shop.
When it was open 24 hours a day, it averaged sales of about 4,000 doughnuts per day in each of its three stores — two in Kalamazoo, one in Battle Creek or about 12,000 doughnuts per day.
There are classic doughnuts, like cinnamon sugar and plain, and plump filled donuts, such as Boston Cream Pie, peanut butter and jelly, and s’mores. There’s also a category called fancies, which cost a little more.
Sweetwater’s version of a cinnamon roll is as big as your face, and it sells a cinnamon twist, easily as long as your forearm. There are many flavors of doughnut holes, about the size of hush puppies in a decent Southern kitchen.
Compared with what I call hipster donuts — the $4 kind sold in those super-chic urban stores — Sweetwater’s donuts are a bargain.
The pandemic makes an impact
But, and here’s where the pandemic starts to show, the prices have gone up. When I visited last year, a single donut cost $1.09, and six donuts were $5.99. Now, a single donut is $1.19 and six $6.49.
At the same time, Sweetwater’s has gotten creative with a number of its flavors. Its Facebook page promotes its donut of the week, which recently was apple cheesecake — an apple filled donut with cream cheese icing, and dipped in white crumb topping (apologies to anyone reading this before breakfast).
There are apple fritters to celebrate fall, and all manner of pumpkin items, including pumpkin muffins.
However, as I mentioned, you have a shorter daily window to get there. Its hours, which it describes as temporary, are now 5 am to 6 pm.
“Short staffing is definitely a big issue,” Tregg Garner, a member of the founding family, wrote me in an email. “We are hoping it becomes easier to hire in the future. Also, a lot of our high school and college help has gone back to school. With all of the schedule changes and hiring difficulties, we have decided to temporarily cut hours in hopes of getting our feet back under us.”
Luckily, Tregg says, Sweetwater’s is still operating with approximately 80% of the amount of staff it did last year at this time. “We think it could be a lot worse, and we hope coming up with the final 20% or so will become easier in the near future.”
Supply chain maneuvers
Given how many varieties Sweetwater’s sells, finding ingredients have been a challenge, too, in two different ways. One is random shortages, and the other is large price increases.
“Just in the last few weeks, we've struggled to stock chocolate chips, peanuts, orange juice, and cinnamon spice, which are all staples to our production,” Tregg says.
That’s prompted Sweetwater’s to look for additional suppliers. By juggling between vendors, the bakeries have been able to maneuver around delivery delays.
However, “items such as flour, sugar, and donut fry shortening have seen significant price increases. Most of these companies are having issues further up in their supply chain, and the higher prices are eventually falling on the customers,” Tregg says.
As Sweetwater’s emphasizes on its website, the shorter hours should only be temporary — but as restaurants of every size have discovered, it isn’t easy to predict how long predicaments will last.
British Bake Off Will Soon Return
I know my newsletter readers are fans of the Great British Bake Off. My recent post about Mary Berry attracted an enthusiastic response on Instagram.
So you’ll be pleased to know that the new season of Bake Off is about to hit television screens. It begins airing on Tuesday, Sept. 21 in the U.K., and then on Netflix on Friday, Sept. 24.
As in the past, new episodes will reach Netflix every Friday.
Last year’s cast — judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith, and presenters Matt Lucas and Noel Fielding — is returning.
Along with imaginative challenges, my hope is that Love Productions figured out a way to air condition the tent. I’ve grown tired of seeing bakes melt in the English summer heat, and watching bakers fanning themselves and complain about feeling overheated
It seems so unfair when there are standing A/C units that could help keep the baking islands cool. I first encountered them at trade shows in Europe, so the producers can install them if they choose.
Meanwhile, the Great Canadian Baking Show returns to the CBC Oct. 17, for those of us who can watch it. I recently chatted with chief judge Bruno Feldeisen and you’ll hear from him closer to the season premiere.
A Fabulous Selection of Fall Cookbooks
Fall is a wonderful time for new cookbooks, and I’m excited that friends like Dorie Greenspan (above) and Abra Berens will have new books in bookstores soon.
Eater rounded up the 17 books they consider to be the best of fall 2021. Whether it’s pastry, Mexican food, dishes from Ghana, or you’re in search of cooking tips, there’s bound to be a book that will entrance you.
Pre-order or buy copies from your favorite book shop or big book seller. Remember that many will be available as eBooks and audio books, too.
A Familiar Face Among Food & Wine’s Best New Chefs
I love reading Food & Wine’s annual issue listing the people it considers the best new chefs of the year.
The class of 2021 includes someone very familiar to diners in Ann Arbor: Ji-Hye Kim, the proprietor of Miss Kim, which is part of the Zingerman’s Community of Businesses.
Ji-Hye, who was born in Seoul, was inspired to work at Zingerman’s by a story I wrote in the New York Times. She began at Zingerman’s Deli, moved on to the Roadhouse, and then graduated to own a food truck, called San Street.
From there, Zingerman’s helped set her up in her own restaurant, which features modern takes on Korean food. You can see Ji-Hye regularly shopping for fruits and vegetables at the Ann Arbor Farmer’s Market, only steps from her restaurant in Kerrytown.
Food & Wine noted that her menu is based on the intensive research that she has done into Korean cuisine, both from South and North Korea. “The dishes at Miss Kim offer history lessons interspersed among layers of flavor and texture,” the magazine wrote.
Along with its profile, Food & Wine included Ji-Hye’s picks for dining in Ann Arbor. I was happy to see her shout out to Cafe Japon, whose owner, Miyoko Honma, makes wonderful pastries including matcha croissants and milk bread.
Congratulations to Ji-Hye for this recognition!
Keeping Up With CulinaryWoman
Last week, ABC News produced a special Labor Day series looking at employment in America. I was pleased to talk to Mark Remillard (above) about the restaurant business, and tickled when he turned our interview into a Tik Tok.
Mark also talked to Sava Farah, founder of Ann Arbor’s Pulpo Group, about the challenges she is facing running her restaurants here. You can find him on Tik Tok @markjremillard and he uses that same handle on Instagram, too.
You can follow me on Tik Tok @culinarywoman which is also my Twitter handle. My Instagram is @michelinemaynard. You can email me at culinarywoman at gmail dot com.
One note to publicists: lately, I’ve noticed that many PR people are pasting press releases into emails and then declaring the information to be embargoed. I don’t honor embargoes: my first responsibility is to my audience, not the time a publicist wants a story released.
I don’t plan to violate any of your embargoes, but please don’t provide material I can’t use immediately. Just send it when it’s live.
The Delta variant is not letting up. Even if you are vaccinated, wear a mask and be careful with your health. Also, be kind and understanding with restaurant staff. They’re having a really tough time.
Stay safe, and see you next week.
Those donuts look soooooooo good, Micki!