A new shop is coming fresh out of the oven and is glazing Baton Rouge over this spring.
Mr. Ronnie’s Famous Hot Donuts, based out of Houma, La., announced its first franchise earlier this month, which will be located at 216 Lee Dr.
Store manager Wendy Picou said the store sees an incredible number of customers from Baton Rouge all the time, and that the University is home to many of the store’s regulars.
“Many of our young people here are attending LSU and everyone says ‘Why don’t you bring one to Baton Rouge?” Picou said.
Several University students agreed that Mr. Ronnie’s is the only place to get the best donuts.
“Ronnie’s is a life-changing place that is the greatest thing to happen to Houma,” said mass communication junior and Houma native Robert James. “It’s a required stop on any visit home. I hope Baton Rouge is ready for amazing donuts and slider burgers at pretty much any time of the day or night.”
English junior and Houma native Rowan Whitehurst said Mr. Ronnie’s offers a comfortable atmosphere.
“All I have to say is that Mr. Ronnie’s is an awesome place to go if you want to enjoy breakfast or lunch or even a midnight snack in a homey environment,” Whitehurst said. “The workers are so nice and the food is delicious.”
Picou said the response from people on Mr. Ronnie’s Facebook page is overwhelming and the family is excited to become a part of the Tiger community.
“We are excited for the people of Baton Rouge,” Picou said. “I mean it’s not just a few people, we have several Houma transplants in Baton Rouge who are super excited about Mr. Ronnie’s coming to the area because they miss us.”
Owner Ronnie Picou also said that when it comes to donuts, price is no object for some people.
“We have ladies who come and buy anywhere from $100 to $200 worth of donuts and drive back to Baton Rouge,” Picou said.
Mr. Ronnie, or Mr. Donut Man, as Houma residents call him, opened up his first donut shop in 1994.
After 20 years, he decided it was time for Mr. Ronnie’s to try something new by bringing the warm, glazed creations to Baton Rouge.
Director of Franchise Development Rocky McMillian said the Baton Rouge location will maintain the same interior concept as the Houma store.
“The store is going to have exactly the same products and the same ’50s style décor,” McMillian said. “We are going to try to keep the feel of Mr. Ronnie’s generic.”
Picou said students can look forward to seeing LSU-inspired themes in the store.
“In Baton Rouge it’s all about LSU, and we are LSU fans, so lots of the décor will be LSU,” she said.
Additionally, she said her mom and dad’s philosophy has always been “only the best,” and that’s what the new store will strive to offer.
“We are just going to spread our wings and fly and hope the people of Baton Rouge like what we have to offer,” Picou said.
Mr. Ronnie said that while many franchises don’t want to spend the extra money for quality products, Mr. Ronnie’s Hot Donuts prides itself on quality.
“The number one donut for me is hot glazed,” Mr. Ronnie said. “I usually wait until they cool down, and the reason is because I take a serrated knife and cut the donut in pieces to make sure they have a full capacity of goodness.”
The store will be open from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week with a drive-thru open 24 hours a day. The date for the grand opening has yet to be announced.