Cardigan Donuts facts for kids
 |
|
.jpeg)
Cardigan Donuts' flagship store in Minneapolis City Center
|
|
| Private | |
| Industry | |
| Founded | May 11, 2017 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Founder | Justin Bedford and Jeff Bull |
|
Number of locations
|
2 (2025) |
| Products |
|
Cardigan Donuts is a popular American doughnut shop and coffeehouse. It is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Two friends, Justin Bedford and Jeff Bull, started the company. They opened their first store in May 2017. This main store is inside the Minneapolis City Center shopping mall.
Cardigan Donuts is famous for its delicious doughnuts. They also sell yogurt, hot and cold drinks, and kombucha. Many of their customers are people who work in the city. They often use the Minneapolis Skyway System to get around. A second Cardigan Donuts store opened in June 2022. This one is in the IDS Center and even has an ice cream bar! A third location is planned to open in the US Bank Plaza complex in the fall of 2025.
Contents
What Cardigan Donuts Offers
Cardigan Donuts was started in 2017 by Justin Bedford and Jeff Bull. They wanted to create a special doughnut shop. The store makes fresh doughnuts every day. They come in three types: "Classic," "Premium," and "Inspired."
Delicious Doughnut Flavors
The "Inspired" doughnuts are very unique. Their flavors change twice a week. This means there is always something new to try! Before the store opened, the bakery manager, Daniel Rosene, tested many fun flavor ideas.
Some of the exciting "Inspired" flavors have included:
- The Rainbow Road: This doughnut is inspired by the Super Mario Kart game. It has rainbow dough, white chocolate frosting, candied walnuts, and cereal marshmallows.
- The chicken and waffle doughnut: This one has a special "crackling chicken skin" topping.
- The red hot doughnut: This doughnut features Red Hots candy and cinnamon.
Other popular doughnuts include the Raised Bar, Raised Glazed, and Vanilla Cake. They also have options with homemade fruit jams. At the end of each day, any unsold baked goods are given to local food banks or the Salvation Army. This helps people in need.
Drinks and More
Cardigan Donuts also sells many kinds of drinks. You can find hot and iced espresso drinks, coffee, teas, and kombucha. The main store in City Center also has a gift area. It sells items and clothing made by local artists.
Store Design and Experience
The first Cardigan Donuts store is open six days a week, but closed on Sundays. The smaller second store is open Monday through Friday. A local company called Smart Associates designed both stores.
Inside the City Center Store
The larger City Center store has a cool, modern sitting area. It has orange walls and a cozy fireplace. There is also a special room in the back. It is designed like a conference room for business meetings. Sometimes, Cardigan Donuts uses this space for special events. They call it the "Donut Lab." Here, people can try new doughnut flavors and give their ideas.
How Cardigan Donuts Started
.png)
The first Cardigan Donuts store opened on May 11, 2017. It is a large space, about 2,600 square feet. It is located on the second floor of the Minneapolis City Center shopping mall. This floor is also known as the "skyway" level.
Justin Bedford, one of the founders, explained why they chose this spot. He said he had worked in the skyway for many years. He loved the people and the feeling there. He wanted to create a place especially for the co-workers, clients, and friends he had met.
Growing During Challenges
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Cardigan Donuts stayed open. They started offering a delivery service. This helped them become even more popular with local people. However, the restaurant did close for a short time in 2020. This was during the George Floyd protests nearby.
On June 22, 2022, Cardigan Donuts opened its second, smaller store. This new location is inside the IDS Center's Crystal Court. It is about 650 square feet. This spot used to be a frozen yogurt shop. People were happy to see a doughnut shop return to Crystal Court. Another local doughnut shop had closed there in 2020. The new IDS Center location sells the same doughnuts as the main store. It also offers smoothies, homemade ice cream, and other special desserts.
See also
- List of doughnut shops
References
