Johnson and Tiffany Black own the new business Van Dough’s Artisan Mini Donuts, a traveling endeavor that celebrated its grand opening May 1 – the date the couple were engaged 10 years ago. (Jerry Davich)
“Who doesn’t love doughnuts?”
Tiffany Jaynes Black asked me this silly question while guiding dozens of miniature doughnuts through an automatic doughnut-making machine. The Rube Goldberg-like contraption can make up to 1,200 artisan doughnuts every hour.
By the time I arrived, Black looked like she had made a few thousand of the doughy delights.
“I think I’m wearing more sugar than the doughnuts,” she joked.
The couple set up their booth in the parking lot of Philips Ace Hardware in Valparaiso on that blustery Sunday, perfect for enticing hungry customers to warm up with fresh donuts. And they did, by the dozens, starting at 8 a.m. (Jerry Davich)
Black and her husband, Johnson Black, own the new business, Van Dough’s Artisan Mini Donuts, a traveling endeavor that celebrated its grand opening May 1 — the date the couple were engaged 10 years ago.
“This is our day,” Johnson said in between customers.
The couple set up their booth in the parking lot of Philips Ace Hardware in Valparaiso on a recent blustery Sunday, perfect for enticing hungry customers to warm up with fresh doughnuts. And they did, by the dozens, starting at 8 a.m.
Until 3 p.m. the couple continually made fresh doughnut batter before pouring it into the machine’s hopper, which plopped out doughnut after doughnut. The machine automatically flips over the doughnuts as they float down a lazy river of cooking oil.
“With a little babying along the way,” Tiffany said, using a wooden wand to guide them. “In just a few seconds, it makes these delicious doughnuts.”
The machine automatically flips over the doughnuts as they float down a lazy river of cooking oil. “With a little babying along the way,” Tiffany Black said, using a wooden wand to guide them. “In just a few seconds, it makes these delicious doughnuts.” (Jerry Davich)
The mobile unit’s colorful signs and visual props attracted many of the drive-by customers. But it was the aroma of fresh doughnuts that did most of the sales pitch. (Watch a video of the operation and view more photos on my Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/JerDavich/.)
“The smell reminds you of being a kid and walking into an old-fashioned bakery,” said 69-year-old Lynn Jaynes, Tiffany’s father, who came up with the idea for the couple.
He’s part business owner, part showman, part Barnum, part Bailey. In 2009, he came up with Tastebud Tours with locations in Chicago, New Orleans and San Francisco. The walking tours offered a guided feast to several eateries and other iconic sites.
My favorite Tastebud Tour was a recreation of the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair, hosted by Tiffany who portrayed Miss Bertha Honore’ Palmer, queen of Chicago’s high society in the late 19th century. Maybe you’ve heard of her swanky hotel, the Palmer House.
“In a world that seems to be constantly immersed in conflict one way or another, it feels fabulous to serve up delicious rounds of joy to the community,” Tiffany Black said. (Jerry Davich)
Tiffany’s new business venture takes her from brownies, the hotel’s historic specialty, to gourmet doughnuts. The most popular flavor at Van Dough’s grand opening was raspberry lemonade, a flavor I didn’t know existed for doughnuts. I guess I’m old school when it comes to mini doughnuts. Cinnamon sugar every time. This, and powdered sugar, is a staple flavor for Van Dough’s, along with three rotated specialty flavors.
“Doughnuts bring back fond memories of family tradition for me,” Tiffany said.
One set of her grandparents lived in Indianapolis and the other set lived in Angola.
“In Indy, a weekend was not complete unless there was a trip to stand in line at Longs Bakery,” she recalled. “In Angola, a member of the family would make an early morning run to Tom’s Donuts to get the day started off on the right step.”
Lynn Jaynes, who came up with the doughnuts business idea for the couple, is part businessman, part showman, part Barnum, part Bailey. In 2009, he came up with Tastebud Tours with locations in Chicago, New Orleans and San Francisco. (Jerry Davich)
“There is something about the sight, smell, and taste of a hot, freshly made doughnuts that evokes fond sensory memories. It fills my heart with a familiar loving hug of happy times gone by.”
Her husband also has fond memories of joining his father to get doughnuts before preschool. Johnson always got the same thing, a cake doughnut with frosting and sprinkles, and a carton of milk.
“Fast forward 30 years and I am now the owner of a doughnut business,” he said.
His great uncle was once in the doughnut business, creating “SpudNuts” that were popular in Marsh grocery stores back in the 1960s.
“We are very excited to be bringing mini doughnuts to Valparaiso and the surrounding areas,” Johnson said.
To frame the Van Dough’s theme, an artist easel displays the signage, and additional easels will be displayed for kids to share their own creativity while waiting for their doughnuts. (Jerry Davich)
To frame their Van Dough’s theme, an artist easel displays their signs and additional easels will be displayed for kids to share their own creativity while waiting for their doughnuts. While I waited for my order, a little kid hopped out of a pickup truck and bolted toward the doughnut machine. His eyes latched onto it like frosting on a, well, you know.
“In a world that seems to be constantly immersed in conflict one way or another, it feels fabulous to serve up delicious rounds of joy to the community,” Tiffany said. “My hope is that our local, small, family-owned and operated business can be the start of new traditions and fond memories for families that will last for years to come.”
The couple’s Facebook and Instagram pages, @vandoughsdonuts, shares the mobile unit’s whereabouts, times of operation and different flavors. (For large events or private parties, email vandoughs@gmail.com or call 574-780-2099.)
“We hope to become a staple in the community for many years to come,” Johnson said. “Maybe one day someone can write about how they used to come to our shop with their dad when they were kids.”