Asheville food bites: Doughnut shop in a jam, new cocktail line debuts, local events

Tiana Kennell, Asheville Citizen Times
Updated ·5 min read

ASHEVILLE - A locally-owned downtown pastry shop in dire need of community support; a brewery and cocktail bar release new distilled spirits brands for retail sale; and upcoming beer and wine party and tasting events.

Save a small business: Stay Glazed

Stay Glazed … Donuts’ owner is fighting for the downtown shop to stay open as unexpected expenses pile up.

In the spring, pastry chef Samantha Rose purchased the 5-year-old doughnut shop at 22 S. Pack Square, in the lower level of the historic Jackson Building.

Samantha Rose, the new owner of Stay Glazed...Donuts in downtown Asheville is raising money for equipment to keep the small business open.
Samantha Rose, the new owner of Stay Glazed...Donuts in downtown Asheville is raising money for equipment to keep the small business open.

Rose made the improvements and added personal touches to the underground café, and she said business has been doing well with customers stopping in for the eccentric and flavorful desserts and coffee.

The pastry chef expanded the menu to include Italian pastries and pies for the holidays.

“The customers have been great, and the feedback’s been amazing,” Rose said.

However, the small business is in jeopardy as big-ticket equipment requires immediate repairs and other hefty expenses add up. Manufacturer changes have more than doubled the cost to replace a filter on a hood of the cooktop ― from about $900 to $2,500 ― and the industrial-size Hobart mixer is “on its last leg,” she said.

“That’s my main mixer for my dough and those are like $7,000,” she said.

Rose said the Buncombe County's Department of Environmental Health notified her of required upgrades after she took over the business, such as improving the coffee station and floors, which weren’t in Rose’s original business plan and budget.

“This is a lot of unexpected expenses and a really slow season so it’s kind of like a one-two punch,” she said.

A variety of doughnuts from Stay Glazed...Donuts in downtown Asheville.
A variety of doughnuts from Stay Glazed...Donuts in downtown Asheville.

The Stay Glazed team devised a crowdsourcing campaign to raise money for the repairs. If the goal of $10,000 isn’t met, Rose said the business will likely have to be sold.

“Customers are loving it and I’m loving it. I’m heartbroken that this may happen,” Rose said.

The first-time entrepreneur said business loan applications haven’t been approved since Stay Glazed is considered a new business after she took it over several months ago, so there’s not enough evidence to prove income to the financial institutions.

Stay Glazed’s fundraiser is broken down into several tiers and donors receive an incentive based on their level of giving, such as stickers, doughnuts, coffee, merchandise and the opportunity to create a new doughnut for the menu. The campaign is open through Jan. 9.

“This is hard for me. It’s been a really fun journey and I want to keep doing it and keep helping people create memories when they come to Asheville and play board games in my lounge,” Rose said. “I want to stay. I don’t want to go anywhere but I can’t afford to fix my equipment.”

Stay Glazed...Donuts creates custom doughnuts, including new recipes in collaboration with local businesses.
Stay Glazed...Donuts creates custom doughnuts, including new recipes in collaboration with local businesses.

Rose said she and her fiancé postponed their wedding, which was originally planned for October, to purchase the business, so the possibility of having to close hurts even more.

“I said, ‘Let’s go after our dreams. This is my dream and what I want to do, and I will postpone our wedding until we can get there,’” she said.

For more, visit facebook.com/stayglazeddonuts/ and follow on Instagram at @stayglazeddonuts. Donations are accepted via Kickstarter.com.

Ninja Spirits, Buckminster cocktail line release

In May, the Citizen Times announced the new partnership led by Asheville Brewing’s Mike Rangel and Little Jumbo cocktail lounge’s Chall Gray to release the distilled spirit and ready-to-drink cocktail brands, Ninja Spirits and The Buckminster Cocktail Co.

This month, the retail bottles hit shelves in time to warm up the holidays.

Asheville beverage entrepreneurs Chall Gray and Mike Rangel are fusing their knowledge and experience in cocktails, beer and social experiences to roll out a new business based on craft spirits.
Asheville beverage entrepreneurs Chall Gray and Mike Rangel are fusing their knowledge and experience in cocktails, beer and social experiences to roll out a new business based on craft spirits.

Ninja Spirits and The Buckminster Cocktail Co. are now sold at North Carolina ABC stores, as well as Asheville Brewing Co. at 77 Coxe Ave. in the South Slope brewing district.

The Buckminster Old Fashioned, a fully-made craft cocktail, makes mixology easy. Simply pour over ice and serve. The recipe was designed to have a balance of bitters, whiskey and sugar without being too sweet. The cost is $31.95 for the 750 mL bottle.

Ninja Spirits, a name inspired by Asheville Brewing’s award-winning Ninja Porter beer, has debuted with a wheat-based vodka that is sold as a 750 mL bottle and costs $23.95. It’s described as “exceptionally smooth” due to many months of the distillers fine-tuning its water profile. The Ninja Spirits Vodka is recommended for making a mule, Vesper and other cocktails.

More: Asheville cocktail bar, brewery owners to open distillery, introduces retail spirit brands

More: Answer Woman: Are bartenders, establishments responsible for overserving guests alcohol?

Asheville beverage entrepreneurs Chall Gray and Mike Rangel are fusing their knowledge and experience in cocktails, beer and social experiences to roll out a new business based on craft spirits.
Asheville beverage entrepreneurs Chall Gray and Mike Rangel are fusing their knowledge and experience in cocktails, beer and social experiences to roll out a new business based on craft spirits.

The beverage entrepreneurs plan to open a distillery and tasting room at 66 Asheland Ave., on the campus with Rangel’s other businesses, Asheville Pizza and Brewing and Rabbit Rabbit concert venue.

For now, imbibers may get a pour of the beverages at Asheville Pizza & Brewing-South Slope, and distribution continues to expand to include local bars and restaurants.

For more, drinkninjaspirits.com and follow on Instagram @ninja.spirits and  @drinkbucky.

Upcoming beer and wine events

  • The Whale's 6th anniversary. Celebrate the award-winning rare and exclusive craft beer bar from 5-8 p.m. Dec. 21 at 507 Haywood Road in West Asheville. The event will include tarot card readings, music deejays and surprises. thewhalecollective.com/west-asheville-nc/

  • Metro Wines tasting. Join "The Queen of Bubbles" Gwen Bell from 3Keys Distributors at MetroWines for a tasting of four sparkling wines from 2:30-5:30 p.m. Dec. 29 at Metro Wines, 169 Charlotte St.

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Tiana Kennell is the food and dining reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. Email her at tkennell@citizentimes.com or follow her on Instagram @PrincessOfPage. Please support this type of journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Asheville Stay Glazed Donuts plea for help, Ninja Spirits debuts