Amy’s Donuts serves up gourmet treats, Texas-style in new Denton location
Jin Kim’s family has found success in opening doughnut shops across the country. But with their latest location opening in Denton, they’re finally bringing their vision home.
“We’re all Texas people,” said Kim, co-owner of Amy’s Donuts. “We live here, and we grew up here, we went to high school here. So, we’ve always had a keen awareness of our metroplex.”
Amy’s, a doughnut shop and 24-hour drive-thru serving up over 120 gourmet varieties like Chips Ahoy, Bananas Foster and Cinnamon Toast Crunch, alongside doughnut classics like bear claws and fritters, held its grand opening Friday in Denton. The Denton shop, located at 2410 S. Interstate 35E, is one of six Amy’s across the nation, with established sites in Arizona, Colorado, Ohio, New Mexico and Washington State.
Kim’s family, which opened their first shop in 2013 and is originally from Irving, has long had their eye on North Texas for their next location.
“Denton has always been a spot that we’ve always thought would be the best place to introduce our very first shop in Texas,” Kim said.
Amy’s has its roots in traditional doughnut shops, offering fresh-brewed coffee and pigs-in-a-blanket alongside pastries. But what sets Amy’s apart is its variety and its focus on from-scratch, handmade doughnuts, which Amy’s staff makes on-site, Kim said.
“We’re actually making them all day long, so you’re not getting last night’s doughnuts, and we have so many different choices — you’re not going to find another place that has a display with this many doughnuts,” he said.
Though some locals have inquired about allergen-friendly options, Amy’s doesn’t offer gluten-free doughnuts because of their from-scratch model and limited kitchen space, and their mix contains dairy, meaning it isn’t vegan-friendly.
Still, their diverse menu has intrigued locals, with many flocking to the location during its three-day soft opening in mid-January and hundreds lining up since Friday to get a taste of Amy’s selections. The new pastry spot has also generated a lot of buzz on social media as Denton residents shared their excitement.
“The only thing that overshadowed the donuts was the EXCELLENT customer service,” Chaston Rankin told the Denton Record-Chronicle on Facebook. “So glad they’re here in Denton! They’re a perfect fit for our town!”
Kim said the response has been overwhelming, even prompting Amy’s to temporarily close their drive-thru to keep up with foot traffic.
Although Kim said he could increase the number of cashiers to keep what have been long lines of customers moving more quickly and reduce the average 10-minute wait, he’s opted to focus on keeping traffic at the doughnut case reduced amid COVID-19.
But a few customers say the wait deterred them from trying the shop.
“My boyfriend went with his daughters last Saturday morning and the line to get into the building was a 45-minute wait,” Maryana Sloniewsky said on Facebook. “No donut is worth that.”
Still, despite doubts about opening a new location during the pandemic, most customers have responded well to Amy’s focus on safety, Kim said, even helping de-escalate a situation with a customer who was reluctant to wear a mask in the Denton shop recently.
Kim is running the day-to-day until he can promote from within to fill shift lead and management positions, and he hopes to have the 24-hour drive thru operational soon. Until then, Kim said Amy’s is just focused on bringing a little extra sweetness to North Texas.
“There’s a lot of energy at our shop,” Kim said. “It’s exciting to be here.”
