Purdue graduate opens doughnut shop in West Lafayette

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) - There are a lot of late night food options for Purdue University students around campus. Cheesy slices, burgers and milkshakes abound. Now you can add doughnuts to the list.

Hammer Donuts opened Thursday at Chauncey Hill Mall, inside the Discount Den.

Tate Schienbein, owner of Hammer Donuts and a recent Purdue graduate, said he designed the business specifically to cater to students.

The doughnuts are an easy sell, he said, but most doughnut places and coffee shops don't have late hours. Schienbein said Hammer Donuts, located at 135 S. Chauncey Ave. Suite 1J, will have late night hours on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. He's even going to offer a deal where people can get their Cactus Cups, plastic cups that get students discounted drinks at the Neon Cactus, filled with doughnut holes.

"We're still playing around with pricing, figuring out how many holes will actually fit in a cup," Schienbein said.

Schienbein added he came up with the idea for Hammer Donuts late one night with a friend while out at Brothers Bar & Grill. The next day it still seemed like a good plan, Schienbein said, so he set about making it a reality.

He took his idea to members of Gold Sail Capital, a Lafayette asset management firm started by Purdue graduates.

"They were supportive in every way," Schienbein said.

Gold Sail partners recently acquired the Discount Den, where Hammer Donuts is now located.

Paul Griggs, managing partner of private assets at Gold Sail, said the doughnut shop is a perfect complement to the den and Den Pops, the specialty combo soft drinks sold there.

"I think we will see a lot of student-inspired Den Pop and doughnut combinations as Tate continues to expand the flavor options he is making," Griggs said. "The creativity of the students have shown over the years with the Den Pop flavors continues to surprise me, and I expect we will see a similar thing happen with this combination."

Schienbein said he already has a lot of exciting doughnut offerings, with more to come. Right now, he continued, there is a wide variety of glazed, filled and cake doughnuts, with flavors ranging from maple to red velvet.

Specialty items, like candy-topped doughnuts, are coming soon. For a seasonal doughnut variety, Schienbein said he's thinking a pumpkin cake doughnut.

Hammer Donuts also serves Copper Moon Coffee.

The grand opening for Hammer Donuts is scheduled for Sept. 6, and Schienbein said he hopes to have the doughnut menu cemented by then.

"We're just trying out different ideas right now," he added.

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Source: (Lafayette) Journal and Courier

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Information from: Journal and Courier, http://www.jconline.com