Here are five things to know about the new business:
1. 3 area bakeries supply doughnuts, including square
They get that variety of doughnuts buying from three bakeries with daily deliveries a unique mix of offerings.
Square Donuts, of Richmond, Ind., makes square doughnuts which have proven popular at Ball State University and Indiana University as well as points all around the region.
“They are unique. We don’t cut corners,” owner Dave Bryan joked. “We’ve cornered the market.”
They also receive daily deliveries from Donut Haus, in Springboro, which provides pastries and cake doughnuts as well as apple and cherry turnovers.
Bear Creek Donuts, from Miamisburg, provides specialty doughnuts called “cereal killers” using Fruity Pebbles, Reece’s candy and Andes Mint.
“Three different ones give us the opportunity for best of each of what they do,” Bryan said. “It gives us a bit of an edge. It gives us more variety.”
2. Coffee just as important as the doughnuts
Coffee is another important piece of the offerings at Dough-Versity. They provide small-batch specialty coffees from artisanal roasters as well as Nitro Brew iced coffee. That Nitro Brew coffee is served like beer out of a keg. It is cold-brewed and steeped in cold water for 12 to 24 hours.
“It is smoother and creamier, almost naturally sweeter,” Bryan said. “We are one of only two places in town that offer it. We have sold more of the cold, nitro-brewed coffee than hot coffee. Of course, it is summer weather.”
3. A family operation
It’s a family operation for the time being, but owner Dave Bryan sees a good future for the business, which has been several years in the making. They leased the property last November and have been busy setting up since then.
“Our core business will be students but so many people walk Uptown,” Bryan said. “I grew up here. I love the community. I love the people. I love the diversity.”
Aside from his lifetime in Oxford, he has other ties to the community. His father, Bill Bryan, was principal at Kramer and Marshall elementary schools.
His wife, Wendy, has been a preschool teacher at Kramer for 12 years and is spending her summer at Dough-Versity along with their sons Colson and Blake, who is now a high school graduate and headed to Miami University this fall. Their daughter, Ellie, is currently serving in the Army stationed in South Korea, close to the Demilitarized Zone and expecting to leave the Army next year.
“She is anxious to come home and be part of the business. She should be home by spring,” Bryan said.
4. Late-night doughnuts available
Dough-Versity opened on National Doughnut Day and will continue with what Bryan calls a soft opening all summer as they prepare for the return of students for Miami University classes in August.
When students are back, they will be open until 2 a.m. on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Those late-night doughnuts will be made fresh in the late afternoon, not just from larger deliveries in the morning, Bryan said.
They are currently open 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. and again from 1 to 3 p.m. on Sundays.
Once more employees are hired to cover those hours, the Sunday time break will end, Bryan said.
They are currently opening for several hours on Thursday nights to serve people Uptown for the Summer Music Festival. That is not being done with afternoon-baked doughnuts, but they are half-price.
5. Still hiring
Hiring continues so all the work does not fall only on family members, according to Bryan. He and his wife both have day jobs, she at Kramer and he as finance manager at Jeff Couch’s RV Nation.
Dough-Versity is also looking at hiring for deliveries, he said.
The business is working with the city and the property owner to add outdoor seating, which Bryan hopes will happen by fall.
About the Author