Gourmet donuts, breakfast sandwiches and coffee. This retro spot is coming to Macon

Micah Johnston
·2 min read

A new gourmet donut shop with breakfast sandwiches, coffee and a retro 1950s diner vibe is coming to downtown Macon.

Diesel Donuts, which opened its first location in Jefferson just north of Athens in 2020, put up their sign near the corner of Second Street and Cherry Street this month after posting about expanding to Macon on their Facebook in May.

The shop will feature gourmet donuts in a variety of flavors including key lime pie, snickerdoodle and many more. Flavors rotate out regularly at their Jefferson location, according to their website.

A signature breakfast sandwich called “The Diesel” is another key menu item, a spokesperson for Diesel said, and features several breakfast meats stacked on an everything bagel.

Another highlight of the Diesel Donuts menu is Jittery Joe’s coffee, an Athens staple that will return to Macon after the location in Mercer Village was replaced by Z-Beans. Customers can buy fresh coffee or bags of coffee to make at home, according to the Diesel website.

A Jittery Joe’s sign adorns the window of the new storefront belonging to Diesel Donuts on Second Street in Macon. The gourmet donut shop will serve coffee from the Athens-based chain.
A Jittery Joe’s sign adorns the window of the new storefront belonging to Diesel Donuts on Second Street in Macon. The gourmet donut shop will serve coffee from the Athens-based chain.

Coffee flavors will be unique because Diesel offers seasonal flavors like pumpkin spice or peppermint year-round, a spokesperson said. The shop will also offer pies, muffins and other baked goods.

As for the opening date, a Diesel spokesperson said they hoped to open within the next few months but are not sure of an exact date yet. The group is also trying to open its other location in Sandersville.

The store opened amid the COVID-19 pandemic in an effort to “cheer people up,” a Diesel spokesperson told the Telegraph. The 1950s diner theme was meant to take people “back in time” and offer an authentic experience.

The donut shop took off quick, even winning the Georgia Business Journal’s vote for “#1 Donut in Georgia” in 2021. The store owners decided on Macon for an expansion after driving through downtown and seeing the thriving business scene.

Diesel Donuts put signage on their storefront in downtown Macon in September. The gourmet donut and coffee shop is trying to open its store on Second Street within the next few months.
Diesel Donuts put signage on their storefront in downtown Macon in September. The gourmet donut and coffee shop is trying to open its store on Second Street within the next few months.