Gems: Linda Donuts
The New Donut Champion for Des Moines
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Linda Donuts
The Deets
1810 SW White Birch Circle, Suite 121, Ankeny
T-S: 5:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
$5 a month (or a discounted $50 a year) gives you full access to every month’s Gems!
Prior to visiting Linda Donuts in Ankeny, Hubster and I ordered their donuts for delivery several times. The first time, however, transformed our take on Des Moines’ Donut Landscape. This, Gems, is saying something. My signature is “Love, Chai, and Donuts” for a reason.
A visit to Linda Donuts became a requirement.
The Digs
Linda Donuts is what the inside of a donut shop should look like. It’s brightly colored, cheerful, and donut-focused. Who doesn’t want that donut-print curtain?
Truly, one only needs three things for the front of the house in a donut shop:
A donut display case
Beverages
Seating
That’s exactly what Linda Donuts has.
Now, I grumble slightly. Iowans need AE dairy with our donuts. Fairlife chocolate milk—along with it’s gross, chemical aftertaste—cannot compete with AE’s perfection. That said, at least chocolate milk is an option because if you’re gonna get your donuty sugar high, there better be more sugar in the fridge.
That aside, it’s a simple, modestly adorned shop with insightful details about the ownership. Like this card and pen holder that I caught my eye several times. Because they were busy, I did not chat with the employees, who I assume are also the owners. If we can safely judge based on appearances (we can’t), then I’d guess Linda Donuts is at least Asian-owned. Y’all know I’m all about boosting the signal for Brown-owned eateries.
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Gemified
Of course, let’s recap the rules of Gemification: Unique, genuine, and locally owned. When a family is running the entire operation, it tends to tick all three requirements, and it seems that’s the case at Linda Donuts. They took three weeks of vacation in July, and you just don’t see that from large, corporate, or chain operations. Hubster and I were jonesing for a Linda fix, but we were also happy for them to be able to take time off.
Plus, when you walk in and it looks like there’s a father-son duo doing literally everything in the shop, it endears me to them. When I went in to buy the gift card for the giveaway, a woman with a strong accent was working. I’m guessing she’s mom.
Now, if you’ve not heard of Linda Donuts, I wouldn’t be surprised. They opened on March 24, 2022. They are one of the newest donut shops in the area, with only Donutland’s return to the metro being newer.
What makes them the most unique, however, is what they have to offer.
The Menu
Cronuts are a rarity in the Des Moines metro. I think only three or four places regularly have them. Linda Donuts is one of those places.