Developer: Donut Palace to be built where Price Florist was

 

A Donut Palace will be built where Price Florist used to be, a development company said Thursday.

Redevelopment work is starting, and The Donut Palace of Oak Ridge could open in the first quarter of 2015, said Cappiello Real Estate and Development Company.

The company said The Donut Palace is a regional chain that is primarily located in Texas and the Midwest.

“The Donut Palace is an artisan bakery featuring handmade apple fritters, muffins, cookies, brownies, pastries, and of course, doughnuts,” Cappiello Real Estate and Development Company said. “Each pastry is prepared daily and made fresh for the customers. Along with the baked goods, they will offer coffee, drinks, and artisan sandwiches.”

The Oak Ridge franchise will be at 1021 Oak Ridge Turnpike, near the Methodist Medical Center campus. This development is a new undertaking by the current franchisees for this area, Rom Ouk and Vuthea Sith, a press release said. The franchisees have been operating a Donut Palace in Lebanon, Tennessee, for several years.

“While the chain typically places its bakeries within a strip shopping center, this site will be an evolution of the brand, creating the look and feel of a modern-day coffee shop, yet adding the convenience of a drive-through window service,” the release said. “The single-story, 1,800-square-foot building will be a blend of brick, wood, and metal, reflecting a modern yet comfortable atmosphere with plenty of natural light.”

The release said The Donut Palace of Oak Ridge will be “furnished with plenty of relaxing and inviting seating” and offer a place to “those who would like to read the morning paper, or conduct a small business meeting over coffee, while enjoying a freshly baked treat.”

The building design is a collaboration between Tim Dunnavant, a local architect, and the developer’s principal, Tony Cappiello, the press release said.

The release said Cappiello is no stranger to working with doughnut franchises. In 1996, he introduced Dunkin Donuts to the Oak Ridge community, although the franchisee eventually relocated the store to the Cedar Bluff area.

More recently, Cappiello worked with Krispy Kreme to locate in Farragut.

“Our company has been working with the franchisees of the Doughnut Palace since January of this year,” Cappiello said. “I think it will be a great addition to the community, especially being so close to the hospital and businesses in the area.

“For those of you who remember Frank’s Donuts, operated by Dave Franks from 1969 until it closed in the 1980s, the Doughnut Palace offers the type of fresh doughnuts and treats of a local bakery, rather than what one might find in a corporate doughnut shop.”

Call Cappiello Real Estate at (865) 482-1214 if you would like more information.