Dad’s Doughs: New Donut Shop to Open in Mansfield.
MANSFIELD — Lucas Ahern, a Coventry resident with experience in the restaurant industry, is launching a new donut business called Dad’s Doughs. The shop will be located at 483 Storrs Road on Route 195 and is set to open in November.
Dad’s Doughs will specialize in a variety of mini doughnuts, accompanied by drip coffee, soda, and water. Ahern, who has previously managed Camille’s Pizza in Tolland and Oakland Pizza Co. in South Windsor, plans to operate the shop daily from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Ahern emphasizes that the mini cake doughnuts will be made fresh and to order. He explains the difference between cake and yeast doughnuts, noting that cake doughnuts use dry leavening agents rather than yeast, allowing for quicker preparation. “You take the dry mix and mix it with water to create your doughnut batter,” he said.
The restaurant can prepare a batch of doughnut batter in just 10 minutes, with frying times taking between 95 and 100 seconds. “Not long at all,” Ahern commented.
A robot will assist in the production of the mini doughnuts. Ahern described this equipment as “a mechanized piece of baking equipment” that deposits doughnut batter into a hopper. The hopper then feeds the batter into a doughnut fryer on a conveyor belt. As the doughnuts cook, the fryer flips them halfway through the process, ensuring they are evenly cooked. A viewing window will allow customers to watch their doughnuts being made.
Ahern currently has “several dozen working recipes” and plans to offer between 12 to 16 different flavors each day. The doughnut mixes and frostings will come from Bake’n Joy in Andover, Massachusetts. Coffee will be sourced from Baronet Coffee Roasters in Windsor, while dairy products will be supplied by Mountain Dairy in Storrs. Additionally, the shop will sell water from Village Springs in Willington and soda from Hosmer Mountain in Willimantic.
For those with dietary restrictions, gluten-free mini doughnuts will be available but will be sourced from Freedom Gluten Free Bakery in Massachusetts, not made in-house.
Most orders will be designed for grab-and-go and takeout service. Ahern said, “We’re going to dive in head-first utilizing technology — online ordering, online marketing, online loyalty.” While the restaurant will not have a drive-thru, Ahern believes the quality of service and attention to detail will set them apart from competitors.
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