Donut Shack retains its community feel while Orphan Grain Train helps a community thousands of miles away

AROUND THE PARK AGAIN by Sharon Lee Tegler

Brought to you by Fishpaws Marketplace and

Jing Ying Institute of Kung Fu and Tai Chi

Taking a break from holiday shopping in the cozy surroundings of Donut Shack, with its original mid-Twentieth Century counter and homey Christmas decorations, is somehow reassuring. Customers’ stress simply melts away as they enjoy a cup of coffee and a delectable cream-filled donut.

If they’ve arrived mid-morning or early afternoon, owner/manager Ali Matthews may still be there to greet them or share the latest local news. For the fourth Christmas since she and partner Ben Hilliard took over the shop in 2019, the Donut Shack tree is decorated and nestled in its corner near the window so as not to block the iconic image of downtown Severna Park as it appeared in the late 1950’s.

As a special touch this year, Matthews proudly strung 15 initialed Christmas stockings along one wall for each of Donut Shack’s 15 employees.

“I’m grateful for every one of those 15 employees,” she said. “I’ll admit that doing the decorating, as we come to the end of our third year of operation, has put me in a reflective mood.”

She’s been remembering the challenges she and Hilliard faced when they partnered with other small business owners to purchase, revitalize and restore the neighborhood business that had been run for 34 years by former owners Bill and Stacey Prevezanos.

The Grand Re-Opening of Donut Shack was held on February 29, 2019 – just thirteen days before COVID pandemic restrictions mandated the closure of their counter and table areas.

“We had a lot to overcome,” Matthews recalled. ” Prior to our purchase, the business was under different ownership briefly (less than a year) and so badly operated that they ruined the shop’s reputation. The fact that the community at large was willing to welcome us back and give us a chance was a win from the get-go.”

“Our biggest challenge was learning to make the donuts from Prevezanos – a master-donut maker. It took Bill almost fifty years to perfect his recipes, but we had to learn the donut-making process really quickly. It was hard and was further complicated by the fact that we had COVID on our hands.”

Several local businesses did not survive the pandemic, so Matthews and Hilliard consider the fact that Donut Shack is still here after three years a real success. The business is hardly a “donut dynasty” but the feel of the place is what the partners wanted.

“We’re bringing a good product to our customers and giving them a place to come that really isn’t like other places,” Matthews said. “The business is good for me personally because I’ve been able to bring my family into it as well. My brother-in-law runs my kitchen and my son, a high school student, works at the shop on the weekends.”

Having COVID restrictions forced the Donut Shack staff to make changes immediately. Things they’d thought of eventually adopting – like going on-line and making deliveries – had to be implemented in less than a month for their very survival.

Matthews and Hilliard are very grateful that the community was supportive enough to enable them to find a way to stay afloat. In the early days of the pandemic, selling donuts from tables outdoors in front of the shop when it was cold was daunting, but people continued dropping by for them. The finishing racks of donuts were moved to the far side of the shop for easy access but, with the doors opening and closing, the donuts got cold.

“People would say, ‘We think the donuts may be stale’, and we’d assure them that they were freshly made but just cold and would be fine once they warmed up,” Matthews said.

Thanks to Hilliard’s technical and organizational expertise, the business was able to start the local deliveries within a month, quickly expand them, and continue to expand them even now. The shop currently rotates the schedule to include a different delivery area each weekend. They do the local Severna Park corridor as far as Cape St. Claire and now go as far as Centreville on the Eastern Shore and to South County as far as Shadyside. The rotation takes five weeks to complete before starting all over again. They also do special occasion deliveries for weddings, graduations or other events

Matthews notes that donuts are an indulgence, though an affordable one, that people don’t have to buy.

“We really appreciate that the community has kept alive the tradition started by Bill and Stacey and have continued buying our products through these tough times,” she said.

Now that she and the staff have learned most of the variables and “gotten the donuts down”, they are looking to try out new ideas. Efforts are being made to interest local businesses in having donuts delivered for coffee breaks or meetings on a specific schedule. As soon as they get the proper clearance from the health department, they’ll be bringing back the warm soups in the afternoon that were popular when Prevezanos ran the shop. They’ve even created a recipe for a tasty “Donut Bread Pudding” they introduced at Thanksgiving.

Donut Shack employs three excellent bakers to do what Bill Prevezanos once did by himself but their workload is steadily growing. Matthews is pleased to see the shop fully staffed at a time when other establishments are having trouble finding help. Some employees have been with them from the very beginning.

As with most local businesses, the owners acknowledge that the recession is hitting Donut Shack hard.

“The cost of goods is extremely high,” Matthews said. “We’re keeping our costs at $1.50 per donut. With price points being what they are though and considering that everything here is made by hand and labor intensive, it’s hard to make a profit.”

“The aggressive cost increases are why, instead of saying ‘I think we’ve made it’, I’m saying ‘I think we’re still treading water,’ she added. “I’m happy we’re still able to tread water. It’s frustrating to realize we’ve got the product down and business is good with lots of customers but we’re barely able to make our bottom line. We’re trying to think of everything we can to attract more sales like the bread pudding.”

Matthews has spent time recently bringing Donut Shack products to farmers markets and community events like the Greater Severna Park & Arnold Chamber’s SHOPTOBERFEST and the Severna Park Community Center’s Halloween Spooktacular in order to expose them to the public. On December 4th, she’ll be at the Heroes Christmas Market in West Annapolis from 8 to 11 am. On the evening of December 6th, she’ll be featuring the shop’s new Donut Bread Pudding along with Donut Holes as one of many food and beverage purveyors at the Chamber’s Holiday Taste & Sip event.

She’s by far, happiest when working in the shop and loves seeing parents who came to Donut Shack as kids coming back with their own children or, in some cases, grandchildren.

“The kids get so excited and they sometimes make us pictures that we hang up. It’s a tradition we’re trying to instill in new generations,” she said.

For a tasty treat, stop by Donut Shack at 497 Ritchie Highway or order online for pick-up at the shop or delivery by visiting Hand Cut Donut Shop With Ceremony Coffee – Donut Shack (theshackisback.com).

Orphan Grain Train strives to “Light Up Ukraine”

Tuesday morning found Elfie Eberle, who is heading up Orphan Grain Train’s “Light Up Ukraine” effort, putting stickers on boxes of Luci Lights with volunteer Linda Zahn to get them ready for shipping to Kiev, Ukraine.

Eberle, the founder and former director of Orphan Grain Train’s Maryland chapter and currently its Solicitation Director, explained the project.

“OGT has sent thousands of solar-powered lights to African countries with no electric grid. They’ve had a major impact on the lives of many,” she explained. “Our organization is now collecting funds to purchase these lights for the people of Ukraine who are living without electricity.”

“MpowerD, the company that manufactures Luci Lights, has offered them to OGT for Ukraine at a cost of $7.50 each – a tremendous saving since they sell on Amazon for $24.99.”

Luci Lights are clear, inflatable, solar-powered lights that never need batteries. They contain 10 LED bulbs emitting 75 lumens and can shine for up to 24 hours on a single seven-hour charge.

Orphan Grain Train is asking for people to support its mission to “Light Up Ukraine” by donating to the cause. Any amount will be appreciated. By acting now, two lights will be sent to Ukrained for every light you purchase. To make a donation, visit Maryland | Orphan Grain Train | Sharing resources and bringing Christ’s name and character to needy people both far and near. (ogt.org) and click the Donate to Maryland button or mail a check to Orphan Grain Train – Maryland Branch, P.O. Box 1741, Millersville, Md. 21108.

The column is brought to you this week by Fishpaws Marketplace, 954 Ritchie Hwy. – a family-owned business that carry fine wines, spirits and beers plus gourmet foods. Holiday gift sets are now on the shelves and, on December 17th, an artist will be on hand to engrave customers’ bottles with personalized holiday greetings.

and by Jing Ying Institute of Kung Fu and Tai Chi at 1195 Baltimore Annapolis Blvd. – For over two decades providing martial arts training that improves cardiovascular health, strength and flexibility while reducing stress.  Jing Ying’s classes would make a great holiday gift.