What happens if you merge donuts and craft beer? Sacramento is about to find out
A popular San Diego doughnut shop specializing in beer pairings plans to open in Sacramento in the next year.
Donut Bar will open a Sacramento store as well as 10 more in southern California and Arizona, according to its website. Nine of the 11 are expected to open by January 2019, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported, and all by summer 2019.
Donut Bar's ever-rotating online menu lists a French toast doughnut, a butterbeer dessert circle topped with Harry Potter-esque glasses and a Monte Cristo doughnut stuffed with swiss and American cheese, ham and raspberry-cranberry compote.
Wine and craft beer are usually only offered on weekend nights, but the Union-Tribune reported some franchises may serve alcohol up to five nights per week during the summer. A 2016 beer pairing matched the orange dreamsicle doughnut with an orange witbier, a caramel latte doughnut with a nitro milk stout and a maple bacon doughnut with an IPA.
Donut Bar founders Santiago Campa and Wendy Bartels opened their first store in 2013 before expanding to San Diego International Airport. A Las Vegas store, launched in 2016, was named the top doughnut shop in the state by Travelocity earlier this year, and Thrillist gave the California original the same honor.
Each franchisee will spend $300,000-$600,000 to open their stores, the Union-Tribune reported. It was not immediately clear who the Sacramento franchisee will be or where Donut Bar will open. Campa and Bartels did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
San Diego's Donut Bar is open from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, and re-opens from 5-10 p.m. for evening service on weekends.
The Bee's Benjy Egel is launching a new effort to cover Sacramento's dining and beer scene. Please send tips and story ideas by email at begel@sacbee.com, on Twitter @BenjyEgel or by phone at (916) 321-1052.
This story was originally published June 14, 2018 at 12:01 AM with the headline "What happens if you merge donuts and craft beer? Sacramento is about to find out."