bake - July 2017 - 16

Revenue Growth in

2016

Overall Sample

7.2%

Full Line

5.2%

Specialty

8.2%

Wholesale

7.1%
CYPRESS RESEARCH

For Dean & DeLuca, the 40-year-old company recently

That's when he came up with the idea for an interactive

implemented a strategy that involves offering more

donut experience. Billed as a "modern donut labora-

local brands (bakery included) and expanding their

tory," Donutology in Kansas City, Missouri, encourages

fresh food selection to include fresh meats, fresh

its customers to discover their unique "donut gene" by

seafood and fresh produce, marking a turn toward

experimenting with toppings served from glass beakers.

uniqueness in the marketplace.
"Currently, the donut shop is pretty passive. I wanted to
Showcasing gluten-free cookies, cupcakes and mini

go interactive, to where you could pick out exactly the

bundt cakes inside Dean & DeLuca's Kansas City store,

donut you want. We have over 42,000 varieties you can

one of the company's 11 retail food shops in the United

choose from, and you can get them fresh all day long,

States, bakery owner Robin Knight of Emily Kate's

versus a traditional donut shop where you go in and

Gluten Free Bakery beams with pride about how far her

whatever's in the case is what you get," Cameron says.

bakery business has evolved in such a short time.
 

Donutology works with several businesses in the

Just two years ago, Knight was gearing up to start

Kansas City area to strengthen community ties. The

Kansas City's only dedicated gluten-free bakery, in addi-

shop partners with local coffee company The Roasterie

tion to working full time as executive creative director

for its local blend of barista-prepared coffee drinks, it

for C3 Creative Consumer Concepts, a marketing and

makes its famous Donutology Donut Milkshakes with

design agency. Now her gluten-free sweets are featured

Kansas City's Belfonte Ice Cream, it includes Shatto Milk

at one of the most iconic international brands in

Company's milk on the menu, and it even has its donut

gourmet food, and she loves every minute of it.

boxes produced locally.

"It's so exciting for a national brand like Dean & DeLuca

Another important partnership, with merchandising

to embrace local bakery brands, and it feels really great

becoming a key aspect of retail bakery business, is

to be part of it," says Wright, who started her bakery

Donutology's affiliation with local t-shirt company

after her two daughters were diagnosed with gluten

Charlie Hustle. The partnership has resulted in some

intolerance as teenagers.

truly unique t-shirt designs which feature the familiar
KC heart logo that residents have come to know

Niche marketing

well, adorned with sprinkles corresponding with

Donutology owner Andrew Cameron is no stranger

Donutology's logo colors.

to the donut world. The Lansing, Kansas, native had
previously built a reputation in the Midwest with his

In December of 2016, Cameron decided to boldly go

Daylight Donuts stores. After opening six of them

where few had gone before. "I have always wanted to

throughout Kansas, the donut virtuoso was looking for

send something into space," he says. The shop sent

a new challenge.

a sprinkled donut into space using a helium weather

16 < JUL 2017 | bakemag.com
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