Hy-Vee returning to fried donuts

By Phil Cobb | July 14, 2017 |

TOM PINNEY/DAILY FORUM
A sample offering of new fried donuts was on display Thursday at Maryville Hy-Vee, with available free samples for a limited time.

Hy-Vee customers will soon notice a complete change in the supermarket’s donut offerings.

This week, the Maryville Hy-Vee has offered free samples of fried donuts at their bakery counter, but on Sunday morning, those fried donuts will be all Maryville has to offer. Lori Myer, the bakery manager, said this is part of a company-wide change in donut offerings.

“Hy-Vees across the board will be switching over to the fried donuts in the next year,” Myer said. “We weren’t supposed to go over until February of 2018, but (store director) Travis Buysse was adamant about getting on the bandwagon quickly.

“We’ve offered them as samples this week, but Sunday morning, all we’ll have is fried donuts. It’s pretty exciting; the donuts are really good.”

The difference between the current frozen donuts and the upcoming fried donuts is more than just taste. Myer said the process of making the donuts begins the day before they’re sold.

“We have employees cut up the dough for the donuts, with cutters for rings and longjohns,” Myer said. “After that, we put them on racks and send them to the freezer.

“After that, the fryers get in at about 10 (p.m.) to proof the donuts and get them into the fryers. They’re also responsible for making the donuts we have from recipes, such as the old-fashioned donuts. Our last people are the finishers, who get in at 1 a.m. to add glaze and toppings.”

The toppings on the fried donuts will range from the more traditional cream and frosting to candies, cereals, and fruits. Some of the donuts mimic popular gourmet desserts, such as the bananas Foster.

“We’ll have the cabinet arranged in three rows,” Myer said. “The top shelf will be all of our gourmet donuts.

“The middle shelf will have glazed donuts and the more generic ones. The bottom is what I like to call the kid’s section, and that’s where the cereal donuts will be.”

Myer noted that Hy-Vee had fried donuts before, but switched to the frozen donuts several years back. She said some stores have seen a sales increase of 300 percent.

“I just hope to double our sales,” Myer said. “Some stores have had a lot of success with the fried donuts, but my goal is to see sales double.”