SLODoCo is opening a new spot — at the location of a longtime doughnut shop
The rumors are true: Central Coast favorite SLODoCo has taken over a longtime San Luis Obispo doughnut store and is transforming the spot into its newest shop.
In June, a sign appeared in the doorway of Sunshine Donuts promising big changes, but failing to diclose what those developments might be.
“Thank you for all of your support,” the sign read. “Closing June 1, 2022. Will reopen soon.”
Though rumors rose that the business had been acquired by a larger local company, the building continued to feature the Sunshine Donuts sign on the outside, even as June faded into July and August.
On Aug. 25, SLODoCo business manager Heather Doss confirmed the popular local chain bought Sunshine Donuts. The Higuera Street store will become SLODoCo’s second San Luis Obispo location, and its third shop overall in San Luis Obispo County.
The business opened its flagship location on 793F Foothill Blvd. in San Luis Obispo in 2010, and added an Atascadero location in March 2019 to much aplomb.
“Yeah, we are really excited,” Doss told The Tribune. “We’re doing full renovation on the inside (and) plan to renovate on the outside as well, but we’re still waiting for city permits for that outside. So right now we’re just getting all of our front-end staff hired, getting our bakers hired and training processed.”
The new location is tentatively scheduled to open in mid-September, she said, perhaps around Sept. 16 or 17. They’ll likely conduct a soft opening at that time, with a grand opening scheduled for later.
Doss said the company will also launch new merchandise along with the store’s opening.
“We’re really excited here,” she said.
Why buy Sunshine Donuts?
Doss said SLODoCo closed escrow on Sunshine Donuts in June, but the deal has been in the works since the spring.
“Our owner actually has some history there — it was close to her heart,” Doss said of the decision to buy the shop.
She added it was a “pretty smooth transfer” of ownership.
“There was no hard feelings,” Doss said. “We really support their business, they’ve been such a local place of gathering for people who are commuting to work and travelers and everything. So we wanted to make that a really good transition for them.”
Sunshine Donuts opened in March 1973 in a spot on Monterey Street, according to Tribune archives.
The business was owned by a pair of San Luis Obispo businessmen, Bob Brown and Mike Taylor, through the 1980s, when they opened a second location at 195 Higuera St.
In 1989, they sold the Monterey Street shop to the Gau family, who owned it until the building was demolished in 2002 to make way for the new San Luis Obispo County Government Center.
Brown and Taylor sold their Higuera Street shop in 1996 to Sovath Isebrands, who owned it and another Sunshine Donuts in Nipomo through the early 2000s, according to Tribune archives.
In 2016, Isebrands sold Sunshine Donuts’ SLO location to Olang Vorng, according to a notice of sale published in The Tribune that year.
Through that time, Sunshine Donuts cemented itself among locals and travelers alike as a favorite spot due to its classic doughnut offerings and convenient location. So when the shop closed in June, many were worried about what was happening to their favorite shop.
Now SLODoCo, which made its name with trendy menu items and a devoted, largely college-age customer base, is looking to fill that doughnut hole.
“When we opened in Atascadero, we knew there would be a different kind of clientele, with families and everything,” Doss said. “And that’s been going great. So we are super supportive of everyone.”
“We like to serve everybody,” she added. “Everybody’s welcome.”
What will new SLODoCo shop be like?
Because SLODoCo is taking over an existing space on Higuera Street, the company’s latest location will be notably smaller than the Foothill Boulevard shop, Doss said.
However, the new SLODoCo spot will have the same menu as the other SLODoCos, she said.
That includes the company’s signature galaxy doughnuts — a classic doughnut with a marshmallow topping swirled in bright colors to look like space — and other creations such as circus animal doughnuts, and vegan and gluten-free options.
The new shop will also sell coffee.
Doss said the wait for permits to work on the exterior contributed to some of the mystery around what’s happening with the location, since the Sunshine Donuts signs are all still up.
As the business gets closer to its opening date, Doss said the signs will all be updated to reflect the new ownership. SLODoCo also plans to work on the outside patio area to increase places for people to stop and enjoy their doughnuts, she said.
Along with the new location, SLODoCo is planning to take its flagship Foothill Boulevard shop 24-7, Doss said. The Higuera Street shop will also be open 24-7, she said.
To help staff those new hours and the new location, Doss said the company is currently hiring for front-end staff. Those who are interested in applying can do so at SLODoCo’s website at slodoco.com/apply.
Plans to expand to around California
The Sunshine Donuts acquisition isn’t the only big move in the works for the SLO-grown doughnut chain.
After the COVID-19 shutdowns, business is almost back to normal, Doss said. That means the company can begin looking toward the future.
Doss said SLODoCo is in the early stages of shopping for spots throughout California where it can expand, specifically in major college towns.
The chain is also considering opening a shop in Hawaii at some point, she added, but all plans are very preliminary and far from finalized.
“We are growing, Doss said. “We do plan to grow in the future.”
This story was originally published August 31, 2022 at 11:00 AM.
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