After a long day, a restless night or on breaks in-between study sessions, you might get that craving. That craving for something sweet and filling. There’s only one thing that can satisfy that need: doughnuts.
Fortunately, there are plenty of shops to choose from, both in and around Knoxville. With a mainstay Krispy Kreme and about a dozen Dunkin Donuts, you might look outside of the norm for that pastry craving.
That’s where the Daily Beacon comes in. We’re here to provide you with a list of local doughnut shops to help satisfy that insatiable craving.
Status Dough
First up is Status Dough, an artisanal doughnut shop that brings quantity and quality for each item. They can be found in two locations: 6535 Kingston Pike on the hill above Krispy Kreme, and 418 S. Gay St. in the same building as Phoenix Pharmacy.
Along with coffee, they handcraft specialty doughnuts, with their Buttermilk Old Fashioned at $2 and their specialty doughnuts, like their seasonal Pumpkin Spice Old Fashioned or Maple Bacon, at $3. For that price, they provide big, quality made doughnuts. Stop in to either of their locations for a great treat.
The Donut Shop
The Donut Shop released its fall flavors in-store on Sept. 22, 2021.
Next up we’ve got The Donut Shop. Located at 724 N. Broadway, The Donut Shop also offers specialty made doughnuts to Knoxville. Prices per single doughnut range between $2 and $3 based on if it’s a specialty item.
Some of their special doughnuts include seasonal items like S’mores, Apple Spice Cake and Pumpkin Cheesecake doughnuts. They also partner with Mahalo Coffee, selling it in store and by the cup. Their hours are based on the day, as they always open at 8 a.m. and close by 2 p.m., except for Friday and Saturday where they close at 11 p.m. The Donut Shop has everything to satisfy your cravings, especially any Autumn flavors you need.
Pop’s Donuts
Pop's Donuts debuts its French Toast Crunch flavor on May 14, 2021.
For something a little more out of the way, Pop’s Donuts offers freshly made doughnuts every day. Pop’s Donuts can be found at 7699 S. Northshore Dr., which is a bit of a drive from campus. Coupled with strict hours of operation from 6:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. every day, it might be hard to get over there in time, especially if they sell out early.
But if you can get there in time, fresh, made-from-scratch doughnuts await you, most of which cost under $2 each. With some Honeybee Coffee to go with it, you can get a glazed, jelly, blueberry or even an Oreo doughnut among other options. Albeit an early drive, Pop’s Donuts might just fulfill that doughnut need.
The Donut Theory
The Donut Theory has a truck in addition to its brick-and-mortar storefront.
Our final selection is a little pricier but provides a gluten-free option for hungry customers. Based in a food truck, the Donut Theory moves from place to place in their noticeable pink truck. They have a calendar on their website of where they will be, but they will open a storefront in Marble City Market on Oct. 22 that will expand their menu to include gluten-free fried chicken.
As they currently stand, they sell gluten-free doughnuts in different varieties, including regular, pumpkin, maple and apple pie doughnuts along with other flavors. They run a couple dollars more than some, but their gluten-free exclusive doughnuts are unlike anything in Knoxville.
