Chamber Member of the Week: Gramps Coffee and Donuts

February 28, 2022 | 12:08 am

Updated February 28, 2022 | 10:32 am

File photo

Gramps Coffee and Donuts hasn’t even been open a full year yet, but owner and operator Amy Gilmore said the response from the community has been greater than expected. On days one and two, customers lined the intersection of Frederica and 4th streets to try Gramps’ take on donuts and coffee, and after 9 months the line remains a constant. 

Gramps donuts boasts rotating and seasonal flavors to pair with their more standard takes on the donut. The feel is different from a classic donut, with a flaky texture and more mass. 

“We didn’t know what to expect,” Gilmore said. “People seem to love donuts and coffee, and we’re delighted with how things have gone.”

Gilmore said their downtown location has played a pivotal role in their success and that other downtown businesses have been supportive of their efforts. She said their proximity to the downtown hotels, convention center, and bluegrass museum provides them with customers that span the globe.  

“We love being downtown; this is a great location, and we get a lot of traffic every day,” she said. “The downtown hotels and museums are awesome about telling people about us. It’s great getting to meet people from all over the world.”

Their staple donuts include the “back in my day,” a take on the traditional glazed donut, and the “happy camper,” a donut with a marshmallow glaze. They also offer a “strawberry fields” donut with a fresh strawberry glaze topped with whipped cream and cookie crumbles, along with the “sap tapper,” a maple-glazed donut. 

Other regulars include the “goodness gracious,” a donut topped with a chocolate glaze, as well as one a cookie and cream crumbles and a cinnamon sprinkles donut coated with cinnamon and sugar.

Their February specials included their first stuffed donut, the Turtle Cheesecake, and the snickerdoodle donut. They will transition to a Lucky Charms-coated donut and a mint donut topped with peppermint whipped cream to align with a St. Patrick’s day theme for March. 

Gramps purchases all their coffee products from award-winning Onyx Coffee Labs in Arkansas. They offer everything from specialty lattes and Americanos to drip coffee and sugar-free options. 

They also recently began a partnership with Brew Bridge to produce a cold brew. 

“We grind coffee and take it to Brew Bridge to have it brewed,” Gilmore said. “They have the necessary equipment to force the oxygen out using nitrogen, which removes the acidity. They have kegs there just for me, and I now have a kegerator at the store. It’s been a great partnership.”

The coffee and donut shop was recently nominated for emerging business of the year by the Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce.

“We have terrific employees – most have been there since we opened,” she said. “They are awesome about learning customers and making sure the donuts and the coffee are just right; they work really hard and are the reason we’re doing so well.”

Gramps maintains regulars. They are open from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, and 7 a.m. to noon on Sunday. 

They also offer pre-orders for bulk purchases of coffee and donuts. Visit their website here or search Gramps Coffee and Donuts on Facebook for more information. 

“We really want the community to know they’re welcome here,” Gilmore said. “We’re here to love on them, serve them, and be a place for the city to come and hang out for just a bit.”

The Chamber Member of the Week program is a membership benefit of the Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce. Founded in 1913, the Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce has worked for over a century to provide valuable benefits and services to member businesses and individuals.

Today, with a membership base of nearly 1,000, the Chamber is a guiding force in community and business development initiatives, serving as the center of business advocacy for the Greater Owensboro region.

To learn more about becoming the Chamber Member of the Week or inquire about Chamber membership, contact Shelly Nichols, Chamber Vice President, at 270-926-1860 or [email protected].

February 28, 2022 | 12:08 am

Share this Article

Other articles you may like