Yo Doughnut Co. in Youngstown adds freshness to Downtown

By Kalea Hall

khall@vindy.com

youngstown

Walk through the inviting bright green door at Yo Doughnut Co. on East Rayen Avenue and you will be greeted by not only the alluring smell of handmade, fresh-baked doughnuts, but also a hip atmosphere equipped with friendly owners excited about their new business adventure.

There is Johnny Caceres, director of baking and product development, or the brains behind the sensational recipes; Royce Robinson, director of marketing and public relations, the guy who knows everybody; and Mitch Scott, chief operating officer and the creative guru with a penchant for unique style.

“We are making a product that so many people have complimented us on,” Scott said.

“It gives you pride,” Caceres added.

“I’m very excited, especially now that people are really coming,” Robinson said.

The three might be exhausted after a morning of mixing, making and creating their heavenly masterpieces of doughnuts, but their contagious energy fills the doughnut shop, which is a reformed pizza shop and former gas station.

It was two weeks after the soft opening of their doughnut shop that they poured $30,000 in, and they already have a list of regulars, an understanding of the regional likes and dislikes and a growing plethora of flavors.

The story behind the three is quite simple: They are friends and wanted to start a business. Scott, a retired museum director, Robinson, with a background in retail, and Caceres, the baker extraordinaire, joined forces and began hunting for a location to put their doughnut shop in back in February.

They knew they wanted to be downtown and close to Youngstown State University’s campus, but they also wanted to make sure they had ample parking available.

“We love Youngstown,” Scott said.

On Friday, National Doughnut Day, the shop will have a grand opening.

“We are really happy we have been so well-received,” Scott said.

They also have developed a method to the chaotic madness of the morning rush. Get in by 2 a.m., make the doughnuts and serve them — sometimes so hot the customers have to wait to take their first delectable bite. Yet the three still want more, and so do the customers.

“We wanted to be sort of a hip place where people could come in and have a coffee and a doughnut,” Scott said. “We wanted to be more modern.”

While keeping it modern, the three are also keeping it classy with the traditional names of “Long John” for creme stick and the “Bismark” for the jelly-filled doughnut. They hope to be the doughnut shop that people flock to every day as the hangout, and want people to say, “We are going to Yo.”

Unique names for the doughnuts are another unique aspect at the Yo. Some of them include “Tiffany,” “Think Pink” and “Go Green” and “Follow the Finger.”

“We just come up with the names for fun,” Caceres said.

But the guys have not gone without extensive training in the world of doughnuts. They had to learn the art of crafting cake doughnuts and yeast-raised doughnuts, in addition to the procedural aspects of running a doughnut shop.

“It is not just open up a mix and add some water,” Scott said. “There is a lot of science involved in making doughnuts.”

The team keeps the menu fresh with new flavors and has a list of 30 so far.

“There is that expression, ‘dollars to doughnuts,’” Scott said. “People are happy when they are buying doughnuts.”

If interested in trying a bite of Yo doughnuts, the store is located at 115 E. Rayen Ave. The hours are 6 to 11:30 a.m. Sunday through Friday with extended hours coming soon.

A classic doughnut is 99 cents, a fancy doughnut is $1.19, a dozen classic costs $10.49 and a dozen classic and fancy costs $10.99.

The store also delivers doughnuts by the dozen. For delivery, call 330-746-9888.

For a list of flavors, go to yodoughnutco.com.