Permission to Indulge

It is time to suspend your diet for a moment and immerse yourself in the wonderful world of donuts. Yes, I said it. Donuts! As in Hurts Donut Company. The newly-opened shop at Main Street and Teel Parkway is the eleventh store across the country and the first in Texas. If you have not heard of Hurts, settle in for a feel-good, home-grown success story.

Three years ago, Kas and Tim Klegg opened the very first Hurts Donut Company store in Springfield, Mo. Starting a business from scratch is a huge undertaking, but starting a donut business when you have never, ever, made a donut before is crazy, right? But, that is just what the Kleggs did. YouTube is a very handy resource to teach yourself how to do just about anything. So, 12 hours before they opened, with only $6 remaining in the bank and a YouTube session on hand, they opened the doors to their future. And what a ride it has been.

Using social media to spread the word about their donuts continues to be the main way Hurts communicates with their fans and followers. When the Frisco store opened in late January of this year, Facebook posts and challenges spurred more than 50 fans to camp out overnight to be the first to experience Frisco’s newest craze. It is just a donut, right? Well, in reality, there are donuts, and then there are Hurts donuts.

In March of last year, a Frisco couple starting thinking about what it would be like to open a Hurts Donut Company franchise. Keith and Cheryl Selby knew about the success of Hurts firsthand since Mrs. Klegg, the co-founder of this growing company, is his niece. After much discussion and searching for the perfect spot for their store, the Selbys purchased the franchise, wanting to share the sensation and story of Hurts with their community.

On opening day, I stood in line with the hoards. Everyone was excited to experience firsthand what the hoopla was all about. Kids, parents and seniors chatted happily with new-found friends while we all waited. Once we made it through the door, the excitement grew. The glass cases were filled with giant, colorful donuts, music was playing and the smiles on everyone’s faces were blinding. We watched one little girl approach the case to pick out her favorite (she was still thirty-fifth in line). There were only two remaining of her chosen flavor, so she watched with anxious anticipation as everyone in front of her placed their order. Would she, or wouldn’t she, get to nibble on her chosen donut? The excitement and joy on her face was priceless. In the end, she chose another flavor, but was so excited and still in donut heaven! This is what the hype of Hurts is all about. It is more than a specialty donut that is oversized, unique and tasty. It is about a donut that is all of those things, plus, the donuts never fail to bring joy, happiness and smiles to each person who experiences one.

If you have not stopped by the new store, you will be amazed when you do. Three words come to my mind when thinking about the differences that makes a Hurts donut stand out above the rest: generous, creative and quality. They are very generous in the actual size of the donut, as well as the amount of glaze and toppings. Hurts donuts are almost twice the size of a regular donut, and they never skimp when it comes time to add the goodies on top. The second difference is where creativity comes out to play. Bright colors, crazy toppings and unique names join forces to create something that is just plain fun. Quality reigns supreme here, as the third difference. Each donut is hand-rolled, hand-cut and hand-decorated with premium toppings. It does not get any better, or fresher, than that!

Two of the best sellers are the Cookie Monster and Jesus (pronounced with a soft “J”). The Cookie Monster is just as you would imagine: bright blue glaze, crumbled Oreo cookies and candy eyeballs. So cute! The Jesus donut brings together the flavors of cinnamon and caramel, reminiscent of a yummy Mexican churro! Other popular varieties include Andes Mint, Nutella, the Fred Flintstone, Cotton Candy, Pink Lemonade and Blueberry Streusel. An easy way to experiment with the options is with a Hurts Dozen. This pre-boxed dozen includes four classic and eight specialty donuts. They make more than 70 varieties, so browse the case to find your favorites! Each donut I taste-tested was an absolute delight. The melt-in-your-mouth desserts are large enough to share (if you have the willpower to do so) and every donut has a clever, creative name inspired by its toppings.

When asked about the media coverage of the grand opening, lines of patient people spilling out of the door for days after the opening and the overall excitement for his Hurts franchise, Mr. Selby simply responded, “We were told to expect it, but I did not believe it. The support we have experienced is astounding. Eighty-five people were still in the store at midnight the day after we opened.”

The Selbys not only wanted to open a Hurts Donut Company franchise, but they wanted it to be in Frisco. “This is our community and we wanted to be here. Frisco is a fast-growing city and the families are open to fun and unique experiences. Our donuts are different. They are like opening a present. Plus, it is just a cool place to hang out. We thought it would be a perfect fit,” he shares. Like all Hurts locations, they are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The 2,500-square-foot store offers ample seating, nice music and free Wi-Fi. It is the perfect place to sit, visit, enjoy a donut and unwind.

In addition to bringing smiles to customers’ faces, Hurts Donut Company also understands the importance of giving back to the community. For every bottle of water that is sold, 50 cents is given to the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation. They also happily award a percentage of their sales every year to various charities.

Another unique way to keep the community involved and engaged revolves that big, donut-covered ambulance you see parked out front, affectionately called the “Whambulance.” Every Hurts location has one and it serves several different purposes. First of all, it is just an awesome-looking, eye-catching addition to the front of the store. You know you are in the right place when you see it! Secondly, it is a delivery vehicle. If you order 100 donuts or more, expect them to be delivered to you in style! Birthday bashes, work events and church gatherings are great opportunities to share the magic of a Hurts donut! Also, the “Whambulance” is a highly-creative and quirky way to not only connect with our community here in Frisco, but to smaller towns around the area.

So, come on, live a little. Take the time to enjoy the unexpected things in life, like a bright blue frosting-covered Cookie Monster donut. It is fun and all things are good in moderation. I give you permission to cheat on your diet plan. Welcome to Frisco, Hurts! Visit the team at 3288 West Main Street, Suite 101, today!

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