New gourmet doughnut shop set for opening

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Joshua Knopp / News Editor

Denton Square Donuts, a local icon of pastry-based absurdism, closed earlier this year.

But in its place, Hypnotic Donuts will open Wednesday, bringing animal crackers and bananas back as donut toppings in Denton. The location, on 235 W Hickory Street, held its soft opening Sunday evening, giving everyone who attended a free donut. The line was out the door and well around the corner.

James St. Peter, who co-owns the shop and the original Dallas location with his wife, Amy, said they were close to running out of donuts halfway through the evening.

“It’s going to be tight,” he said. “We’re still making them. We might be all right, but it’s going to be close.”

Amy St. Peter said the store started in 2010 when she and James were bored with more conventional careers. James St. Peter always loved sweets, and in June 2010, they started making donuts. The couple opened their first shop in 2012, but before that, they operated out of James St. Peter’s truck, arranging donut meetups via social media.

“We would show up with donuts. People would show up with cash,” Amy St. Peter said. “We would do a little exchange. It looked a little sketchy, but it worked.”

Amy St. Peter said they started out putting anything they could think of on top of homemade donuts. Everything they use in the shop is made there, from the donuts to the frosting, she said. While explaining why they might run out at the opening, James St. Peter said it can takes an hour and a half to make a batch.

Hypnotic now predominantly serves conventional donuts, but the store still carries outlandish concoctions such as the Evil Elvis, which sports banana slices on top of maple icing-covered bacon bits, and the kids’ favorite (and James St. Peter’s favorite) Zooroppa, which is topped with sprinkles, marshmallows and frosted animal crackers.

James St. Peter said they are going to have the Denton location open into the evening, and because of that they will serve more than breakfast pastries. The store is in the process of getting a license to sell beer, and they will serve salads and a Canadian dish called poutine.

The spouses said they were in Toronto in early February competing in Food Network’s Donut Showdown. Their episode aired earlier this month. While up North, Canadian pastry chefs introduced them to poutine, a dish that mixes french fries, cheese curds and brown gravy. James St. Peter said they would substitute in tater tots and white gravy for a more southern feel.

The crowd at the opening was excited and satisfied, even after waiting half an hour for one donut. Art history graduate student Annette Becker had an Espresso Yourself, a chocolate cake donut with coffee-based frosting covered in caramel and coffee grounds.

“This is surprisingly delicious. I’m so happy this is here,” she said. “This is going to be really fun to bring down to Oak Street.”

Featured Image (top): The “Express Yo Self” donut from Hypnotic Donuts. This pastry has coffee icing, salted caramel and coffee beans topped onto a chocolate cake donut.

Middle Image: A line of people stretch out the door for Hypnotic Donuts’ grand opening on Sunday night. The donut shop is located at 235 W. Hickory St. near the Square.

Bottom Image: The “Evil Elvis” donut from Hypnotic Donuts. This banana, bacon, peanut butter and honey topped donut is a Hypnotic Donuts icon. 

All photos by Joshua Knopp – News Editor

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