Park City scores two new doughnut joints
By Renée Huang
It might come as a surprise in the uber-athletic mecca that is Park City that not one, but two, doughnut stores threw open doors within six months of each other. But Parkites like to eat as well as they work and play—hard and without cutting any corners.
It was exactly Park City’s idyllic lifestyle that drew Pittsburgh natives Lange and Rebecca Palmer in November 2015. They wanted to raise their daughter, Calli, “in this little rural paradise,” says Lange, who had been bringing his family to Park City for more than seven years to ski and snowboard. “The school systems, picturesque landscape and friendly people seemed like the perfect place.”
When the Palmers hatched their plan to relocate to Park City, there were no boutique doughnut stores. They didn’t relish the idea of buying doughnuts at a grocery store. “This quickly became the second reason for moving here; we found a void that needed to be filled in the Park City landscape.”
Lange Palmer
The family was actually back home at a Pittsburgh Steelers game when they came across a shop called Peace, Love and Little Donuts. After buying a batch of what Lange calls “these little bundles of joy,” they struck up a conversation with the owner about licensing out the concept that had a dozen shops already in the Rust Belt region but none in Utah. Thus, Park City’s newest gourmet fried dough shop was opened on Main Street in February 2016.
Lange says one of the shop’s strong suits is the fact they churn out the doughnuts continuously throughout the day. “Our doughnuts are little and the flavor combinations pack a great taste in such a small amount. The doughnut itself is light, fluffy and can be topped with over 30 different combinations of toppings”.
It turns out a doughnut-store dream was also on the mind of Shannon Buist, who opened Twice the Dough in December 2015. Buist and husband, Patrick, were relatively new to Park City, having moved with their two young girls from Southern California when he accepted a job at Skullcandy in 2013.
As self-professed “doughnut foodies,” they quickly realized Summit County was a void for doughnut connoisseurs, especially for gourmet, all-natural sweet treats they felt good about giving to their daughters.
Shannon Buist
Buist comes from 16 years as an airline pilot and had no formal culinary experience. She partnered with local pastry chef Kayley Cassity to execute her vision for creating doughnuts in a dozen or so varieties, including an all-vegan, gluten-free chocolate flavor called “Death by Chocolate” that is a hit among all customers, not just those on a restrictive diet.
By 4 a.m., the kitchen is buzzing as the staff churns out 500 of the fluffy fried creations—no artificial preservatives, coloring or ingredients added. They often sell out by noon.
Peace, Love and Little Donuts, 738 Main Suite 2-100B, Park City,435-649-6698
Update: Twice the Dough is no longer in business due to family medical matters. We wish them all the best.
