DENVER (KDVR) — In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic was gathering steam, and so were the number of layoffs, prompting one Denver restaurant duo to launch a new business.
That’s because those layoffs included the pair of restaurant employees who took their time, experience and enthusiasm to launch the perfect business at the perfect time: Pandemic Donuts.
Gabrielle Henning and Michael Milton launched Pandemic Donuts from their kitchen in Denver just days after they were laid off in mid-March. Now, the venture is coming to an end.
“Almost 6 years ago, we started Pandemic Donuts in the middle of an uncertain world, thinking it might be a small side project,” the pair wrote on Instagram. “Instead, it turned into something much bigger than we could have imagined — a community, a family, and a place where we poured our hearts into every dozen.”
The restaurant said that it is time to say goodbye, with its last day being Aug. 31.
“We’ve shared early mornings, sugar-covered aprons, laughs over coffee, and countless moments with so many of you who supported us through it all. You kept us going through the highs and lows, and we will never stop being grateful for that,” Pandemic Donuts wrote on Instagram.
“Thank you for showing up, for cheering us on, for telling your friends, and for making this dream so much sweeter than we could have ever baked up on our own,” the restaurant owners continued. “We’ll carry these memories — and probably a lifetime supply of sprinkles — with us forever.”
The pair spoke with FOX31 in 2020 shortly after launching. Henning is a classically trained culinary chef with years of pastry experience, and Milton has spent years roasting and selling coffee. Their experience was combined for the donut shop.
“Pandemic? It’s just a marker of the times. (The name is) just kind of straight to the point. We’re in a pandemic, and that’s when we started it,” Milton told FOX31 back in 2020.
The pair shared photos on Instagram and sold out in minutes, but due to the size of their kitchen, the supply was limited.
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Anthony Sutton is a business strategist and writer with a passion for management, leadership, and entrepreneurship. With years of experience in the corporate world, he shares insights on business growth, strategy, and innovation through management-opleiding.org.
