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Round Rock Donuts

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Coordinates: 30°30′33″N 97°40′47″W / 30.5092°N 97.6798°W / 30.5092; -97.6798
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Round Rock Donuts
Storefront in December 2024
Map
Restaurant information
Established1926; 99 years ago (1926)
Owner(s)Jan and Dale Cohrs
Previous owner(s)Lavern and Charles Baird
Food typeDoughnuts, kolachess, cinnamon rolls, and coffee
Street address106 W Liberty
CityRound Rock, Texas
StateTexas
Postal/ZIP Code78665
CountryUnited States
Coordinates30°30′33″N 97°40′47″W / 30.5092°N 97.6798°W / 30.5092; -97.6798
Seating capacity0
ReservationsNo
Other locations1
Websitehttps://roundrockdonuts.com/

Round Rock Donuts is a doughnut shop established in 1926 in Round Rock, Texas [1][2][3] that has appeared in numerous "best of" lists, including ones put out by Texas Monthly in 1976,[4] Bon Appétit in 2010,[5] The Daily Meal in 2013,[6] Yelp in 2022,[7] TasteAtlas in 2025,[8] etc.

Round Rock Donuts has had a second location in Cedar Park, Texas since 2022.[9]

History

[edit]

Established in 1926, Round Rock Donuts, then known as Lone Star Bakery, moved to its present location, 106 W Liberty, in Round Rock, Texas, in 1970, due to lack of parking space at their old location,[1] at 101 East Main Street[10]

In January 1977, Round Rock Donuts opened up a second location in Austin, Texas at 5453 Burnet Rd.[11]

In September 1978 Jan and Dale Cohrs purchased Round Rock Donuts from Lavern and Charles Baird, who themselves, had owned it for 13 years.[12] The recipe that had been conveyed with the purchase wasn't the "real recipe", which was only re-discovered after a former employee recalled it[13]

In April 1985 Round Rock Donuts opened up a new second location (by this time the location off of Burnet road had closed) in Round Rock, Texas at 409 Round Rock Avenue [14]

In the evening of Tuesday, September 12, 2000,[15][16] firefighters responded to a grease fire started by a deep fryer.[17] Damage from the fire forced the closure of Round Rock Donuts, which wouldn't re-open, again, until Tuesday, October 10, 2000, when a portable building was setup in the parking lot.[18] Construction on a replacement permanent building began on September 21, 2000 and, on December 5, after about 2.5 months, the newly constructed building was opened for business for the first time. Whereas the last permanent building was one story tall this new building was two stories tall and featured new ventilation and sprinkler systems.[19][20]

In March 2002 Austin Business Journal reported that Round Rock Donuts had an annual revenue of $2 million[13]

In October 2002 Round Rock Donuts opened up a new second location (by this time the second location in Round Rock had closed) in Pflugerville, Texas,[21] at 1202 FM 685. At around the same time as this expansion the company became officially known as Round Rock Bakery Ltd. The name Lone Star Bakery couldn't be used as a company based out of San Antonio, Texas, has/had the expansion rights. "We now have all the registrations and trademarks for Round Rock Donuts and will be marketing it in the new locations" CEO Dale Cohrs told the Austin American-Statesman.[22][23] This new location had closed down by at least May 2013 [24][25]

On February 20, 2022, Round Rock Donuts opened up a new second location in Cedar Park, Texas, at 1614 E. Whitestone Blvd [9]

Doughnuts

[edit]
Glazed Round Rock Donuts.

Round Rock Doughnuts distinctive golden-orange tint was historically due to specialty eggs, however, in more recent times, regular eggs have been used with egg color die.[2][3][26]

Whereas most doughnut shops use baking powder-based dough, Round Rock doughnuts use baker's yeast-based dough that's rolled, cut, fried and iced by hand.[26]

Accolades and Notable Media Appearances

[edit]

In 1976 Texas Monthly declared Round Rock Donuts (as Lone Star Bakery) as having the best doughnuts in Texas [1][4]

In 1998 Round Rock Donuts (as Lone Star Bakery) won a Local Legends award from the City of Round Rock [27][28]

In 2007 Texas Highways ran a story about Round Rock Donuts [2][3]

In 2008, in the 5th episode of the first season of Man vs Food, host Adam Richman devoured giant Round Rock Donuts [29]

In 2010 Bon Appétit included Round Rock Donuts in its list of "Top 10 Best Places for Donuts"[29][5]

In 2011 Texas Country Reporter ran a segment on Round Rock Donuts [30]

In 2013 The Daily Meal put out a list of "America's Top 25 Donuts" and Round Rock Donuts came in as #2 [31][6]

In 2015 The Daytripper featured Round Rock Donuts in an episode about Round Rock, Texas.[32]

In 2022 Yelp ranked Round Rock Donuts as the #1 doughnut shop in the United States.[33][7]

In 2025 TasteAtlas ranked Round Rock Donuts as #21 out of 150 of "Most Legendary [Global] Dessert Places".[34][8] Of the US based businesses on that list Round Rock Donuts ranked as #4 [35]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c "Our Story". Round Rock Donuts.
  2. ^ a b c Sheila Scarborough (June 2007). "Round Rock Donuts: The Hole Story". Texas Highways. Archived from the original on April 6, 2017.
  3. ^ a b c Scarborough, Sheila (June 2007). "Round Rock Donuts: The Hole Story" (PDF). Texas Highways. p. 14.
  4. ^ a b West, Richard (July 1976). "The Best of Texas". Texas Monthly. p. 105.
  5. ^ a b Andrew Knowlton (January 28, 2010). "Top 10 Best Places for Donuts". Bon Appétit. Archived from the original on September 6, 2013.
  6. ^ a b Dan Myers (June 23, 2016). "America's 25 Best Donuts". The Daily Meal.
  7. ^ a b "Yelp's Top 100 US Donut Shops 2022". Yelp.
  8. ^ a b "100 Most Legendary Restaurants in the World". TasteAtlas.
  9. ^ a b Girtman, Taylor (February 21, 2022). "Round Rock Donuts opens Cedar Park bakery". Community Impact.
  10. ^ Chris Petrison (September 28, 1978). "New owners of doughnut shop keep turning out the goodies". Neighbor. Austin American-Statesman. p. 6 – via newspapers.com. When the Bairds first bought the bakery they were located in downtown Round Rock at the present site of Robertson's Fabrics {{cite news}}: External link in |quote= (help)
  11. ^ Kathy Haworth (January 27, 1977). "'Swamped' bakery moves". Austin American-Statesman. pp. F13 – via newspapers.com.
  12. ^ Chris Petrison (September 28, 1978). "New owners of doughnut shop keep turning out the goodies". Neighbor. Austin American-Statesman. p. 6 – via newspapers.com.
  13. ^ a b Barbara Wray (March 8, 2002). "Rocked by fire, firm rolls along". Austin Business Journal. Archived from the original on November 7, 2002.
  14. ^ Christie Schroeter (April 18, 1985). "Lone Star adds new outlet for its famed doughnuts". City/State. Austin American-Statesman. p. 6 – via newspapers.
  15. ^ Claire Osborn (September 13, 2000). "Doughnut shop blaze leaves hole in Round Rock hearts". Austin American-Statesman. p. B3 – via newspapers.
  16. ^ Frisbie, Bill; Guajardo, Marcial (September 14, 2000). "Home of Round Rock Donuts glazed by fire". Round Rock Leader. p. 1.
  17. ^ Tony Plohetski (September 14, 2000). "Doughnut shop will come 'round again, owner says". Austin American-Statesman. p. B1 – via newspapers.
  18. ^ Tony Plohetski (October 11, 2000). "A delightful sight in Round Rock". Austin American-Statesman. p. B1 – via newspapers.com.
  19. ^ Frisbie, Bill; Guajardo, Marcial (January 1, 2001). "Lone Star Bakery burns, then rises from the ashes". Round Rock Leader. p. 3A.
  20. ^ Guajardo, Marcial (November 30, 2000). "Up from the ashes: Lone Star Bakery to reopen - bigger and better - next week". Round Rock Leader. p. 1A.
  21. ^ "We have a new Pflugerville location". Round Rock Donuts. Archived from the original on February 7, 2003.
  22. ^ Kitty Crider (October 30, 2002). "See them a-round". Austin American-Statesman. p. E3 – via newspapers.com.
  23. ^ Pamela LeBlanc (December 12, 2002). "Round Rock doughnuts could make P-ville phat". Williamson County - This Week. p. 7 – via newspapers.com.
  24. ^ Wisian, Jennifer (May 5, 2013). "Round Rock's golden treasure". Austin American-Statesman.
  25. ^ Jennifer Wisian (May 1, 2013). "Round Rock's golden treasure". Austin American-Statesman. p. A1 – via newspapers.com.
  26. ^ a b Sheri Alzeerah (September 21, 2013). "Hole Foods: The Round Rock Donuts Story".
  27. ^ Tony Cantú (August 16, 2014). "Cohrs family still doling out donuts". Round Rock Leader. p. A1 – via newspapers.com.
  28. ^ "Local Legends". City of Round Rock.
  29. ^ a b Tony Cantú (August 16, 2014). "Cohrs family still doling out donuts". Round Rock Leader. p. A2 – via newspapers.com.
  30. ^ "Round Rock Donuts" (video). Texas Country Reporter. August 12, 2011.
  31. ^ Virginia B. Wood (December 3, 2013). "Austin-Area Confections Make National Top 25 List". The Austin Chronicle.
  32. ^ "Round Rock Donuts: TEXAS SIZED! 🍩" (video). The Daytripper. May 28, 2015.
  33. ^ "Yelp ranks Round Rock Donuts best donut shop in America". Shop The Rock. June 17, 2022.
  34. ^ Hernandez, Emily (January 4, 2025). "98-year-old Round Rock bakery named one of world's best dessert spots". San Antonio Express-News.
  35. ^ Jenna King (January 5, 2025). "Round Rock Donuts earns spot on worldwide list of legendary dessert places". KTBC (TV).
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