Mister Donut, 4727 Forest Drive: 1990 23 comments
I talked about the doughnut store on Saint Andrews Road a few days ago, and that made me think of Mister Donut on Forest Drive.
I've written earlier about how we used to get hot Krispy Kremes when we went to wait for my aunt at the train station, but after Krispy Kreme moved across the river, Mister Donut was the only doughnut store near us, and it was always a special treat to stop there.
I had a little trouble with the name of the place. Their sign used a flowing cursive script, and to me it looked like "Wister Donut", which when you are a kid doesn't seem like an impossibly stupid name for a store, so that's how I always thought of it, though I was always able to get it straight when talking about the place.
Mister Donut dougnuts were both larger and more substantial than Krispy Kremes. My favorite was the "honey dipped", which I would say was about twice the size of a Kripy Kreme "original glazed", and much denser (though it was still a true [non "cake"] doughnut). In those days, I wasn't allowed coffee except on special occasions, so I liked to get the hot chocolate (which I remember as very good) for dunking purposes.
I was upset when Mister Donut was replaced by Dunkin' Donuts, a chain which I felt (and feel) had inferior recipies (and which at this location, according to my sister and The Free Times, can not operate a competent drive-through window). I didn't know until I looked it up today that Dunkin's parent company bought out Mister Donut and mostly dropped the brand in the US (it survives overseas).
The Dunkin' operation was smaller than Mister Donut and the east side of the building stayed vacant for years but has recently been occupied by, I believe, a travel agency.
UPDATE 26 March 2012: Added full street address to the post title, and added some tags.
23 Responses to 'Mister Donut, 4727 Forest Drive: 1990'
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ChiefDanGeorge
27 Jan 09 at 6:13 am
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Yes - that was definitely a Mister Donut in the 70s. The building has been completely changed, though. It used to be one big open room with a big U-shaped counter and old fashioned stools attached to the floor. There was a window to the place the doughnuts were being made and you could watch the baker. My friends and I went there so often they would have my coffee and 2 "Angel Icings" on the counter before I sat down.
I always liked Mister Donut better than Dunkin'. There was also one on Bush River Rd.
The best doughnuts in town, though, were the giant sugar coated yeast doughnuts at the dessert counter in downtown Belks' Plantation Room restaurant. They probably got them from a local bakery. Awesome. Indescribable. A childhood wonder. I would pay $20 for one right now and probably cry while I ate it.
Dennis
27 Jan 09 at 11:13 am
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I miss Mister donut. They had some good breakfast sandwiches too.
Mr Bill
27 Jan 09 at 1:42 pm
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Mister Doughnut was in existence in the 1960s. BTW, they can't operate decent inside counter either. Went there once and me and 3 others walked out after waiting 10 mins without our order being taken.
Tom
27 Jan 09 at 5:15 pm
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I used to go to the Mr.Donut all the time. My grandfather would take me in there before we would go hunting. I always got a chocolate milk and a cinnamon crunch. My grandfather always had coffee and a french doughnut.
Tim
28 Jan 09 at 9:28 pm
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I remember Mr. Donut having a donut on a stick, like a lolly pop.
Eric
8 Mar 09 at 8:34 pm
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They definitely had "donut holes", which were like hush-puppies made and glazed the same as donuts. Perhaps they put those on a stick?
ted
8 Mar 09 at 10:56 pm
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I remember the Mr. Donut on Bush River in front of Bush River Mall. My grandparents would take me there whenever I'd visit. They were there almost daily and knew all the waitresses. I wanna say you could go all the way around on there stools. I loved that! IrmoJeff's wife
IrmoJeff
15 May 09 at 6:33 pm
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That was definitely a Mister Donut on Forest drive. Spent many a night there eating those great donuts and drinking coffee before finding my way home.
Sammy
11 May 10 at 1:37 pm
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me an my grandfather ate their all the time when I was little. I know it was still a Mister Donut until the mid80s
chris
6 Oct 10 at 4:41 pm
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It was owned by Bob bell went he had to change it over to dunkin dounuts
Dwight
25 Nov 11 at 5:32 pm
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man i can't believe i missed this posting... dennis' comment about the stools fixed to the ground and the u-shaped counter - i can still picture it exactly to this day.
it had to have made it until almost the 90's before turning into DD - or am i off a decade?
SteveB
10 Apr 12 at 2:32 pm
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I worked there in the early 90's - I was the 3am - to noon donut guy. I quit just before Dunkin' bought them out. The new donuts were HORRIBLE, and far more "chemical" in the mixture.
12 Apr 12 at 5:11 am
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KK over in "Tri-City"/Knox Abbott Dr. is MUCH better than Dunkin's. I think Dunkin's is over rated, and their donuts arent that good to begin with. They really never were good. Mr. Donut was much better too, but when they were bought out or closed, that's when the quality went downhill. The Dunkin's over at Boozer Shopping Center is one of the oldest still around I think, and it shows it's age, plus they are MUCH higher priced that what KK is.
Saturday's child
12 Apr 12 at 9:02 am
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Dunkin??? I like cake donuts from the convenience store better.
tonkatoy
13 Apr 12 at 6:50 am
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remember eating at Mr Donut with my grandfather in the early to late 80s
chris
13 Apr 12 at 3:14 pm
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I worked the morning shift here when Bob Bell owned it.
Bobbe Edmonds
20 Jun 12 at 5:03 am
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Does anyone have any idea what the waxy icing was on the donuts on a stick? Help!
Rob
13 Jan 13 at 12:54 am
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Mister Donut was great. soooo-- much better than Dunkin' or Krispy Kreme. You can't get donuts like that anywhere anymore. Too bad.
Edwin Parker McCravy
18 Feb 21 at 4:36 pm
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was there a Mister Donut at 825 Knox Abbott Drive in Cayce? it sure looks like one, but it's been a cell phone place for as long as I can remember.
Mr Bill
13 Dec 23 at 7:25 pm
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@ Mr. Bill. I am not sure, but I do remember one on Bush River Rd being on the site of the now closed Wal-Mart prior to the building of the mall with Kroger and Targert,
Tom
14 Dec 23 at 11:31 am
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Mr. Donut was across the street from the old Howard Johnson's Restaurant and Hotel on Bussh River Rd. in the late 60's to early mid 70's before it was sold to Dunkin Donuts which bought up all the Mr. Donuts from what I've read. This was before Bush River mall was built when Richway was there before Gold Circle and Target moved in. That would have been in 1977-78, but by then, Mr. Donut was gone I think. There used to be one over on Forest Drive when the old Texaco Gas Station was still around...late 60's also.
DB
14 Dec 23 at 11:51 am
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Thanks y'all. I'll check with some of my neighbors that have lived in Cayce a little longer. The building certainly reminds me of the one on Forest Dr. Hard to believe they would have done well with Krispy Kreme just down the road.
I just watched a show on History Channel, it was interesting. A guy and his brother in law started Dunkin, then one guy went on to open Mr. Donut. Eventually they were both swallowed up by some big corporation that owns them now. They use Mr. Donut in Europe. I believe there is one left in all of the U.S.
Mr. Bill
19 Dec 23 at 2:45 pm
Cake donuts are inferior! I never remember a Mister Donuts at that spot, I thought it always was Duncan Donuts. You sure that spot was Mister Donut?