Mister Donut (Singapore)
Mister Donut is an international doughnut chain that opened a pop-up store in Singapore, in 2022.[1] The American brand is known for its Pon De Ring doughnut, a Japanese-inspired treat made of eight dough balls that form a ring.
Origins
American roots
Mister Donut was started in 1955 by Harry Winouker.[2] He is the brother-in-law of Bill Rosenberg, the founder of doughnut and coffee chain, Dunkin’ Donuts.[2][3]
In 1990, Mister Donut was acquired by the then parent company of Dunkin’ Donuts, Allied-Lyon.[3] Thereafter, all its US stores had to either close down or convert itself to a Dunkin’ Donuts outlet.[3]
As of July 2022, there remains only one outlet in the US, located on 2720 Grovelin Street A, Godfrey, Illinois 62035.[4]
Blowing up in Japan
In 1971, Mister Donut opened its first store in Japan, following Dunkin’ Donuts which had done the same a year earlier.[3] Yet, Mister Donut met with an unexpected big break, finding greater success outside of home. In particular, its Pon De Ring doughnut quickly became a big hit once it was released in 2003.[5] As of 2022, it is the largest doughnut franchise in Japan and one of the most popular fast-food chains there, with over 900 operating outlets.[3][5]
On the other hand, its competitor Dunkin’ Donuts did not fare as well and pulled out of the Japanese market in 1998.[3]
Coming to Singapore
Pop-up kiosk opens for a month (15 July 2022)
On 15 July 2022, Mister Donut officially arrived in Singapore, opening a pop-up store at Jurong Point’s WAttention Plaza.[1] The Plaza is a pop-up event space that’s Japanese-inspired, and typically used to promote Japanese brands and products.[6]
It was announced that the pop-up was launched for a limited time only, as part of a month-long “market test” that will go into the chain’s future decision to launch a permanent outlet in Singapore.[1]
Made headlines upon its arrival
Mister Donut appeared on the local news after it sold out at 1PM on its first day, just 2 hours after it opened in the morning.[7][8][9] Local news outlets reported snaking queues along the entire stretch of WAttention Plaza, with customers queuing up to 5 hours.[9] At around 1PM, security officers proceeded to cut off the queue with barriers as the doughnuts had been sold out.[7]
As a result of the overwhelming turnout, the Mister Donut outlet decided to restrict its customers to a limit of 30 doughnuts per person.[7] As of late-July 2022, this number has since been reduced to 10.[7]
Initial reviews
The doughnut chain pop-up kiosk was met with mixed reviews.[7] On one hand, its products seem to have received a more-than-warm welcome from Singaporeans, many of which are fans of the mochi Pon De Ring doughnuts. On the other hand, there were lukewarm ratings that expressed that their expectations were not met.
Products
The Mister Donut pop-up offers about 16 flavours, including 6 signature flavours: Pon De Ring (Original and Strawberry), Angel French, Honey Dip, Custard Cream, and Coconut Chocolate.[7]
Pon De Ring
One of the chain’s best-selling flavours, the Pon De Ring appears to be in the shape of a ring formed by eight mochi-dough balls.[7] On top of the original sugar-glazed version, it also comes in a strawberry-white chocolate glaze.
Angel French
The Angel French is a simple French Cruller that’s filled with whipped cream, and has a smidge of chocolate sauce on its corner.[7]
Honey Dip
The Honey Dip is a classic doughnut with a honey glaze.[7]
Custard Cream
Mister Donut’s Custard Cream is a bombolone, a traditional custard-filled donut with a little sugar dust on top.[7]
Coconut Chocolate
The Coconut Chocolate is a part of Mister Donut’s Old-Fashioned doughnut line, soft and dense rings with an assortment of toppings like coconut flakes and crunchy nuts.[7]
References / Citations
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Yip, Jieying. “Mister Donut Pop-Up At Jurong Point Sparks Massive Queue”. 8 DAYS. July 15, 2022. Accessed 21 July 2022
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Mister Donut. “Our Story”. mister-donut.com. n.d. Accessed 21 July 2022.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Garin, Chris. “Mister Donut’s Founder Used to Work at Dunkin’”. Medium. September 28, 2020. Accessed 21 July 2022.
- ↑ Mister Donut. “Mister Donut, Godfrey IL”. Facebook. n.d. Accessed 21 July 2022.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 J-CAST. “Mister Donut closed 200 stores in Japan in 4 years, "Witness information" on Twitter”. J-CAST. June 24, 2021. Accessed 20 July 2022.
- ↑ Chng, Anthia. “Mister Donut Opens 1st SG Pop-Up In Jurong Point With Famous Pon De Ring Doughnuts And More”. Eatbook. July 13, 2022. Accessed 21 July 2022.
- ↑ 7.00 7.01 7.02 7.03 7.04 7.05 7.06 7.07 7.08 7.09 7.10 Jieying, Yip. “Mister Donut Launches First S’pore Pop-Up To Long Qs: Are Its Doughnuts Worth The Craze?”. 8 DAYS. July 16, 2022. Accessed 21 July 2022.
- ↑ How, Mandy. “Mister Donut pop-up at Jurong Point sees 4-hour queue on opening day”. Mothership. July 16, 2022. Accessed 21 July 2022.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 The Must Share News Team. “Mister Donut Jurong Point Pop-Up Sees Snaking Queue On Opening Day On 15 Jul”. Must Share News. July 16, 2022. Accessed 21 July 2022.