Now she’s focused on the next move.
“I would like to expand a little and try to maybe do some pre-order pies and stuff like that,” she said. “Some coffee cakes. Venture out a little more from the donuts.”
Neiderman said if she was going to move, she wanted to own the building.
“I wanted more space, that was part of it. The building’s in a little better shape,” she said. “I took a big leap.”
“The opportunity came up. The other buildings were already rented. This one was vacant, so it just all fell together,” she said.
But the move hasn’t impacted her faithful customers. The old marquee is still up, but a sign directs them to the new location. Not many need that reference, especially between 7 and 8 a.m. when the customers are constantly in and out of the shop. Neiderman said on the weekends, there are times when the line is out the door.
Neiderman didn’t want to move too far from Reigert Square because that’s where they’ve been for more than 20 years. They were previously located at the corner of Symmes Road and Pleasant Avenue but moved south toward the Town Center area of the city.
Fairfield Economic Development Manager Nathaniel Kaelin said The Donut Spot has been “a long-standing and beloved staple in Fairfield — a destination even before the Butler County Donut Trail.”
“As the city continues to work towards the revitalization of our Town Center, and Riegert Square specifically, we are thankful to see The Donut Spot and Terri staying nearby and investing in the new space,” he said. “Instead of leaving a hole in the donut, The Donut Spot will continue to be the sprinkles on top. "
Neiderman said while she could have taken the business elsewhere, she wouldn’t.
“Everybody knew where we were already,” she said. “I didn’t want to change that too much.”
Neiderman started working at The Donut Spot in 2004 and took over ownership in 2009. She said she wasn’t aiming to buy the business, “but the opportunity arose and my other full-time job I wasn’t sure would be there long enough for me to retire from.”
Neiderman said she’s been “pretty fortunate” to not have some of the same issues other food businesses have experienced, such as employee shortages. Her current crew has been together for nearly a decade, and some have been there for decades.
“I’ve managed to do pretty well for the most part (with the supply chain shortages),” she said, adding the palm oil used to fry the donuts has increased. “The cost increases are ridiculous.”
She said her weekly product costs have spiked by about $1,000. That’s resulted in an increase in prices, but customers “have been pretty good with it,” she said.
Every Saturday, she said, “they’ll be lined up (out the door) on the sidewalk.”
THE DONUT SPOT
The Donut Spot is open seven days a week from 3 a.m. to noon at 5130 Pleasant Ave. in Fairfield.
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