Donuts, kolaches and hot tamales? That's what you'll find at this Mississippi shop

Have you ever walked into a shop and ordered a dozen glazed donuts, two dozen tamales and a ham and cheese kolache? Probably not. After all, who offers such a mix in Mississippi?

Well, there's a donut shop in Vicksburg where you can do just that and its roots date back almost 65 years.

Mark Yelverton of Divine Donuts said his marriage to wife Becky pulled him into a donut family.

"Becky, her father got in the donut business in 1959 in Greenville, Mississippi," Yelverton said. "They were the first stand-alone donut shop in Mississippi."

Yelverton said his wife moved to Vicksburg and began operating a donut franchise in 1978. It became so popular two more locations were opened in the city.

In 2016 the Yelverton's parted with the franchise and became Divine Donuts. They offer 32 choices of donuts made with flour they make themselves.

"If I don't mind saying so, we probably have the best donuts you can put in your mouth," Yelverton said.

It also became more than just a place to pick up a bear claw and coffee.

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Kolaches, in Mississippi?

Kolaches may not be on everyone's mind in Mississippi when they think of breakfast. It's a food traced back to Czechoslovakia.

It's a type of pastry that can be filled with anything from fruit to meat.

In a place with a Czech heritage such as West, Texas, which is home to the Czech Stop bakery, they're common. In Mississippi, not so much.

However, for a donut shop, they're a natural fit.

"We make our own bread," said Kelly Campbell, Yelverton's daughter. "What we use to make the donuts is what we use to make the kolaches. So, it's convenient and it's delicious."

And they come filled with southern favorites.

"We have three different flavors," Campbell said. "We have the ham and cheese.

"We have the link sausage and cheese with jalapeños and the sausage and cheese. They're good."

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Hot tamales in a donut shop?

If you live in Mississippi, you already know that tamales are a part of the landscape. They can be found in restaurants, grocery stores and the amount made by deer processors is likely unimaginable.

Unlike kolaches, they don't seem like a natural fit for a donut shop, though. Campbell said selling tamales was a chance thing when they were approached by a local who made them for businesses in the area.

"Back in the '90s there was a local lady who made them," Campbell said. "We decided to offer them as an afternoon draw."

While they became a popular item on the menu, customers didn't just buy them for lunch.

"The great thing is we start serving them at 6:30 in the morning," Campbell said. "So, if you're on a night shift and want something different or don't have time to take a break from work, it's available. We have customers that do the tamales and the donuts."

Have a story idea? Contact Brian Broom at bbroom@gannett.com or 601-961-7225.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: This donut shop serves up donuts, kolaches and hot tamales