Hurts Donut to open big new location this week

Hurts Donut is opening a new store as soon as Thursday, said shop owners.

The gourmet doughnut shop is moving from a 1,400-square-foot location at 301 Park Central West to a 3,000-square-foot space at 320 Park Central West.

"We've been here just a year and a half," said co-owner Kas Clegg. "We outgrew our space in three weeks. Our supplier says we go through more product in one day than typical doughnut shops go through in one week.

"But our kitchen is the size of a Smart car."

Clegg said the current Hurts Donuts location is so cramped that trays of doughnuts end up being stored in the hallway. On weekends, lines of doughnut lovers stretch across the street into the Park Central bus terminal. Clegg and her husband, co-owner Tim Clegg, hope the new location alleviates the crowding.

Clegg said a bigger space they are renting for a "reasonable" sum from landlord Scott Murray across the street will also allow the shop to more than double its doughnut-frying capacity and serve new things, or things they've only sold in a limited way in the past.

Hurts Donut is finishing up infill details on the new store—such as setting up its fryers and doughnut milkshake stations — as it waits to complete its city health inspection and approval of store signage.

Plans include:

•A lunch menu, which has been "coming soon" ever since the shop opened November 18, 2013.

•The Cleggs and their business partner, Scott Bussard, dreamed up savory doughnut treats including a Sloppy Joenut— "sloppy Joe meat with a glazed donut bun"— and a buffalo chicken doughnut featuring a creamy buffalo dip topping spread on a breadlike, non-glazed doughnut.

•Fans of the sriracha-glazed Fire in the Hole doughnuts — featured on BuzzFeed in February — will be able to purchase them every day, rather than just once a week.

•Doughnut milkshakes. Nope, this isn't a doughnut whirled in a blender. Hurts uses a regular milkshake base, stirring in doughnut toppings using a classic shake-maker, then garnishes the shake with a doughnut hung on the drinking straw.

•Increased space for the shop to welcome clubs, study groups or other meetings.

•Fountain drinks. Hurts has never had space to offer them.

•An opening party driven by social media. If the doughnut shop receives a certain level of new Facebook likes, Clegg said she plans to randomly select 100 Facebook fans for free doughnuts in advance of the new store's opening.

•Additional charitable involvement such as donating portions of water bottle sales to charities such as the MS Society. "We want to do something like that every single day," said Clegg.

The Cleggs and Bussard retained the lease on the original store's space at 301 Park Central West with the intention of opening a hot dog store with gourmet fries within 90 days. They're undecided on the name, though they previously kicked around "Wieners" as a possible brand idea.

Bussard said he's also keen to avoid labeling the place "gourmet."

"(It's) not snobbish hot dogs," Clegg said. Clegg and Bussard would not reveal any menu descriptions as yet.

"We're just trying to do something Springfield hasn't seen," Bussard said. "People are just hungry for something different."

The back story

Hurts Donut has experienced surging growth worthy of a dotcom startup circa 1999. Here are some highlights of their story:

•Co-owners Kas and Tim Clegg, who are married, started the shop with just $7.36 left in their bank account, crossing their fingers and hoping. "We may have cried a bit," Tim Clegg said. "Or a lot."

•They learned to make doughnuts from YouTube videos 12 hours prior to opening day.

•At opening day, Hurts had six employees. "Within two weeks, we had 22," Kas Clegg said. Today, they have 25 Springfield-based employees.

•Hurts has more than 34,000 Facebook fans as of press time.

•A Hurts store in Norman, Oklahoma has been open a year and employs 51 people. A franchise store in Wichita is planned to open July 5. Clegg said owners are also negotiating to open stores in south Springfield, Kansas City and other locations in the midsection of the United States.

•Hurts has donated more than $60,000 to local charities, including Convoy of Hope, Relay for Life, March of Dimes, MS Society, efforts to raise funds for disabled Springfield police officer Aaron Pearson, LGBT community causes, veterans' causes, Toys for Tots and others.