Stepping into the trendy, Instagram-worthy interior of The Donut Pub is like entering a world where the past and present become one. The local donut shop sports a long, diner-style counter where pink mason jars hold straws and mixing sticks. Retro classics like Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition” play through the speakers and neon signs decorate the walls.
A blend of the retro and the modern speaks to the long history of The Donut Pub. The doors of the original Chelsea location opened in 1962, founded by former Wall Street trader Buzzy Geduld.
Over the summer, The Donut Pub added its first new location in over 50 years of business and, fortunately for NYU students, this second store is located on Broadway and Waverly Place. It is a convenient three blocks away from Washington Square Park and just a few doors down from the NYU Bookstore. Need a quick breakfast bite before that pesky Friday morning class? The Donut Pub is now here for you. It’s open 24 hours Thursday through Sunday, making it the perfect place to satisfy late-night cravings. And with a 10% discount for NYU students, the prices are reasonable.
The store displays a large wall of donuts and other baked treats. The new location differs from the original Chelsea shop in that it serves not only baked goods but also gelato from the nearby Il Laboratorio del Gelato. What’s more, the facility is peanut- and tree nut-free.
The shop’s donuts, which come in regular and mini sizes, are delicious yet light. Unlike many donuts, they are not too rich or too dense.
Tandon sophomore Afnan Haq was drawn to The Donut Pub after looking through the window into the trendy interior. He said the donuts were some of the best he has ever had.
“I get a donut there like every few days now,” Haq said.
Haq’s favorite menu item is the pumpkin spice donut. (Fall enthusiasts and pumpkin spice latte lovers are quaking.)
Wanting to branch out beyond Dunkin’ Donuts, Max Lerner, a first-year student in Gallatin, thought The Donut Pub might be the perfect fix for his donut cravings.
“My God, it was amazing,” Lerner said.
Lerner vouched for the maple-bacon bar — his personal favorite. He also suggested that students stop by the shop in order to try the specialties.
Just like the interior design, the donut flavors reflect a combination of the retro and the modern. The Donut Pub offers classics such as glazed and jelly donuts, but also less traditional options like the s’mores croissant donut, which is a cronut sandwiched between two graham crackers and held in place by sticky marshmallow fluff. For the health nuts out there, there are whole wheat donuts for sale.
The Donut Pub is sure to become a staple for NYU students in the coming months, so why not try it out now and be a part of the first wave of students to give a seal of approval?
A version of this article appears in the Monday, Sept. 16, 2019, print edition. Email Tessa Kilcline at [email protected].
