New doughnut shop opens near The Village
Karamel McNutts is a family affair
BY BRETT WALLACE
bwallace@chronicle-tribune.com
Published: Monday,
November 17, 2008
Paul McKnight spent
much of his
formative years
working in doughnut
shops, including the
former Dunkin'
Donuts on the Bypass
and stores in Wabash
and Indianapolis.
After a quarter-century as a truck driver, he decided to give deep-fried batter another try.
"Once you've been in the doughnut business, you notice doughnut shops wherever you go," he said. "I noticed this one (formerly Vogel's) closed several years ago. About every town has a doughnut shop, and they didn't have one here."
Now, McKnight, his wife, Roberta, their five children and other family members are all working together to try to make Karamel McKnutts Marion's next deep-fried success story.
The store sells both
yeast and cake
doughnuts, though
the owners say the
yeast is far more
popular.
The specialty is the caramel roll, as well as the caramel roll with nuts, which Paul said was his favorite doughnut in high school. Combined with a play on his name, it spawned the name of the store — Karamel McKnutts.
Now the whole family is helping with the operation, either working the counter, the kitchen or the nearly yearlong remodeling that led up to the opening.
"It's a family effort for now," Paul said. "As we add employees, the hours will expand."
He said it's been fun for the family even though it's been a lot of work.
"I've worked them all pretty hard," he said.
Roberta said the store has experimented with a couple dozen types of doughnuts during its first month of operation and is constantly listening to customers' suggestions about what they'd like to see in the store.
"I've done about 26 different kinds (in the first four weeks)," she said. "I'm still adding."
Carl Rhodes was a friend of Paul's father and has become a regular at the shop during the last month.
He said he used to go to Vogel's for his doughnuts and then spent years buying them from convenience stores until the new shop opened.
"I'm coming in here now," he said. "It's pretty good."
Both Paul and Rhonda said the customer base has been growing rapidly. Rhonda said they're drawing a number of people from the neighborhood as well as Indiana Wesleyan University faculty and students.
"It's been better than I would've expected," Paul said of the first month of business.
In addition to doughnuts and a variety of hot and cold beverages, Roberta said the store is considering the addition of cookies and brownies.
"That's the next step," she said.
Karamel McKnutts, 3304 S. Washington St., is open from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Orders can be phoned again at 674-1000, or as Roberta said, "674-one-doughnut-doughnut-doughnut."
After a quarter-century as a truck driver, he decided to give deep-fried batter another try.
"Once you've been in the doughnut business, you notice doughnut shops wherever you go," he said. "I noticed this one (formerly Vogel's) closed several years ago. About every town has a doughnut shop, and they didn't have one here."
Now, McKnight, his wife, Roberta, their five children and other family members are all working together to try to make Karamel McKnutts Marion's next deep-fried success story.
The specialty is the caramel roll, as well as the caramel roll with nuts, which Paul said was his favorite doughnut in high school. Combined with a play on his name, it spawned the name of the store — Karamel McKnutts.
Now the whole family is helping with the operation, either working the counter, the kitchen or the nearly yearlong remodeling that led up to the opening.
"It's a family effort for now," Paul said. "As we add employees, the hours will expand."
He said it's been fun for the family even though it's been a lot of work.
"I've worked them all pretty hard," he said.
Roberta said the store has experimented with a couple dozen types of doughnuts during its first month of operation and is constantly listening to customers' suggestions about what they'd like to see in the store.
"I've done about 26 different kinds (in the first four weeks)," she said. "I'm still adding."
Carl Rhodes was a friend of Paul's father and has become a regular at the shop during the last month.
He said he used to go to Vogel's for his doughnuts and then spent years buying them from convenience stores until the new shop opened.
"I'm coming in here now," he said. "It's pretty good."
Both Paul and Rhonda said the customer base has been growing rapidly. Rhonda said they're drawing a number of people from the neighborhood as well as Indiana Wesleyan University faculty and students.
"It's been better than I would've expected," Paul said of the first month of business.
In addition to doughnuts and a variety of hot and cold beverages, Roberta said the store is considering the addition of cookies and brownies.
"That's the next step," she said.
Karamel McKnutts, 3304 S. Washington St., is open from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Orders can be phoned again at 674-1000, or as Roberta said, "674-one-doughnut-doughnut-doughnut."