“Now don’t tell all your buddies,” laughs Johnny’s Donuts co-owner Karin Koons, while selling a donut at reduced price to a young boy who didn’t bring enough loose change. It’s easy to see why the Lettered Street neighborhood has so readily welcomed the small, retro donut shop. Koons runs Johnny’s Donuts with her husband John, who has prior experience in the baking industry.
“Over the past four years, [John] has had a few bakeries. Donuts are cool right now, unlike the 80’s,” Karin Koons said.
John Koons opened the original Mt. Bakery in the 1970’s, before the Koons’ moved to Alaska to work in a fish camp.
“Over the past four years, [John] has had a few bakeries. Donuts are cool right now, unlike the 80’s,” Karin Koons said.
John Koons opened the original Mt. Bakery in the 1970’s, before the Koons’ moved to Alaska to work in a fish camp.
“Then we worked in real estate and realized, like many other people in real estate, that we had to get out. We opened up Johnny’s and went back to doing what we know how to do,” Karin Koons said.
Johnny’s is located at 2201 Cornwall Avenue, a residential zone which requires a special permit to operate.
“We had to get a conditional use permit, with the consent of everyone within a certain radius, and received overwhelming support. The whole process has changed towards really supporting local businesses, very radically,” Karin Koons said.
The building Johnny’s occupies was a barbershop until 2006, and had been vacant until Johnny’s was started in August 2011.
“When we moved in, the place was a mess. I think most people in the neighborhood are just glad to see a new business here.”
Strong local support has been seen at other new businesses in the neighborhood, including art store “Sound Images” on Girard Street, which also opened in August.
“I like the neighborhood a lot, they really try to support us,” Sound Images co-owner Susan Moreau said.
Moreau and her husband decided to open their own business when finding other work became tough.
“[My husband and I] originally started in the motion picture industry, which was outsourced. Hollywood just isn’t Hollywood anymore. When you can’t find work, you make your own work if you have the creativity,” Moreau said.
The Koons’ decided to open Johnny’s for similar reasons.
“It’s interesting how many people are starting their own cafes and such. I suppose we could have gone back to Alaska, but Alaska is pretty harsh. If you don’t have a job, you might as well make your own.” Koons said.
One of these new businesses is Bellingham Flatbread and Bakery, located on 2500 Cornwall Avenue. Started in August 2010 under different ownership, Bellingham Flatbread and Bakery was acquired in February 2011 by Christie Jaquette and Ron Cupples. Local support has been crucial to their success thus far.
“Our business is about 75% local, but those numbers are changing constantly. It’s been word of mouth that’s really helped us. I could put out all kinds of advertising, but what’s kept us surviving to this point is word of mouth,” Jaquette said.
Jaquette wasn’t initially sure if the “buy local” movement would be as prevalent in the Lettered Streets as other Bellingham neighborhoods.
“You see the “buy local” stickers downtown by the Co-Op Market, but to find that same support in the Lettered Streets is amazing. We try to buy everything local ourselves, and support local restuarants.”
One reason for their success has been their wide selection of gluten-free products, which Jaquette describes as the biggest she’s seen in Bellingham.
“I had a guy that called from Miami who said we were highly recommended, looking for gluten free donuts,” Cupples said. “I figured out how to make them taste good, I just have to figure out how to make sure they taste good by the time they get there.”
Jaquette says people come in often to talk about how happy they are to be able to eat bread products again.
“During our second week of ownership, I talked to a woman who hadn’t had toast in 12 years,” Jaquette said.
“For the first 22 years of my daughter’s life, she was having upset stomachs,” said customer Stan Chronister. “I’m really glad there’s [businesses like this] out here who make great gluten-free products.
Despite their products reaching people far from Bellingham, Jaquette knows how important it is to keep the neighborhood in mind.
“The community supports the business that supports the community. That’s helped develop our reputation and get our name out there. We’re donating cakes to the Northwest Washington Community of the Deaf here soon,” Jaquette said.
Jaquette doesn’t want their community outreach to stop there.
“What we’re hoping to be able to do in the next couple months is offer Bellingham High School kids the opportunity to learn how to bake, and donate the products they make to the food bank.”
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