The history of the donut on the American continent is long and hotly debated; some believe it began with Dutch immigrants to New Amsterdam, NY, now Manhattan. However, archaeologists have discovered what appear to be fossilized donuts around prehistoric Native American sites. So, whether donuts began as a prehistoric version of fry bread, or Dutch olykoeks remains to be settled.
But it wasn’t until the mid-19th century that donuts took their familiar form; that’s when a New England ship captain, Hanson Gregory, made history by cutting a hole in the middle before frying. Needless to say, America has had a love affair with donuts for centuries.
Polish immigrants brought their unique, jam-filled donuts, known as Pączki, to Chicago beginning in the 1830s. Today, there are literally hundreds of donut shops across Chicagoland; when anyone asks. “are there donuts near me in Chicago,” the answer is an absolute yes!
From the big, bland, donut chains to small, artisanal donut shops, the fact is, Chicago has all the donuts you could ever desire. In fact, Chicago is known for its gourmet food scene, and naturally, that includes donuts. From local mom and pop shops frying up classic recipes to artisan donut shops with cult-like followings, Chicago is a donut Mecca.
Beginning in the mid-2000s, the donut scene in the Windy City exploded, with artisanal shops frying up a brilliant variety of one-of-a-kind donuts.
With 13 locations across the city, Stan’s Donuts & Coffee always answers yes to the question, “are there donuts near me in Chicago?” For more information, visit their website or contact them today.
