Friday, January 1st, 2010
MIGHTY-O DONUTS
BY BRET STETKA
RING LEADERS A platter of
Mighty-O Donuts’ tempting
treats
TIMOTHY AGUERO PHOTOGRAPHY
“IT’S NOT HARD TO MAKE a good doughnut, but it’s really easy to make a bad one,” claims Ryan Kellner.
When Kellner opened Mighty-O Donuts (www.mightyo.com) in 2000, he had little experience in business or baking. But he did have a hankering to be his own boss. A friend suggested doughnuts, and, realizing the potential and boardroom ubiquity of the fried rings, Kellner found his new calling. “Doughnuts are such a part of culture in America,” he says.
Kellner started slow, working local street fairs and festivals, but he sought a unique identity. “The idea of organic came up,” he says. “Part of it was being in Seattle, where there’s a big following for organic foods. But it was also about finding the highest quality ingredients possible.” He took things a step further and shunned animal products, too. Going vegan worked. Mighty-O caught on quickly with Seattleites seeking sugary vice with a clean conscience.
Market share aside, Kellner’s best accomplishment is in the fryer; while vegan pastries often draw dubious sneers from purist bakers weary of an oily aftertaste and granite density, Mighty-O’s doughnuts possess the lighter, pleasing consistency of their dairy-laden counterparts.
The menu includes lots of adventuresome offerings—the lemon-poppy has a pleasing citrus tang, while the French Toast has the cinnamon-tinged sweetness of the real thing and is made with actual maple syrup—but the crowd favorites are pretty basic. “Our most popular are the glazed and cinnamon-sugar cake doughnuts,” Kellner says.
Mighty-O has dabbled with other pastries—including an ill-fated experiment with muffins—but Kellner ultimately conceded that focus is key to quality. He now keeps things simple, offering only locally roasted coffee along with his sweet and satisfying specialties.
Kellner plans to expand one day, but is currently happy perfecting his craft. “One of my main responsibilities is eating doughnuts,” he says. “It’s not a bad life.”
