After its original shop closed earlier this year, Ooh La La Donuts left Vancouver's popular donut scene.
But this fall they'll rise again, in Kitsilano.
Christine Alexander and her husband are opening up their second shop at 1818 W 4th Ave.; they're just waiting on the last of the paperwork and inspections to finish up.
It's been 20 months since they started the process of taking over the former location of Nini's Greek Restaurant, but it's nearly time to open their doors, says Alexander.
"We're excited because we've evolved a lot from our last shop," she says.
Donuts interrupted
Ooh La La's original location was in West Point Grey; earlier this year, the Alexanders were told their landlord wouldn't be renewing their lease.
"We love what we do, so it was really disappointing to stop," she says.
At the time, they started a GoFundMe campaign for their new shop after locals in West Point Grey asked how they could help get Ooh La La Donuts back.
However, Alexander says once the broader community saw a business asking for help, it turned negative and they cancelled it.
"People were really negative about the fact we were reaching out," she says, explaining that the business owners weren't begging for help, just creating a tool for people who wanted to help.
At the same time, they were renovating the Kitsilano location. The space was suggested to them by a customer who's their new landlord on West 4th.
They had hoped to open in July, but the administrative process has slowed things down; Alexander is still a little uncertain of a precise opening date for the new shop but expects to be serving donuts before the end of November.
"Every time I try to give a date it gets pushed back," she says. "We'll definitely open in the next few weeks...hopefully."
What's in the mix for Kitsilano
The new shop will be an evolution and expansion of the original concept, Alexander says.
The plan is to offer (along with the donuts, of course) sandwiches and other grab-and-go offerings; they see a hole in the market there.
"We're in a neighbourhood now where a lot of people need lunch," she adds.
Donuts still the focus
That said, Ooh La La will still focus on the sweet rings.
That includes homemade frostings Alexander makes by hand. For lavender frosting, she soaks lavender flowers herself, or for chocolate frosting she has her own mixture of four chocolates that she blends.
They'll also have their special "pie donuts."
"It's frosted on the top and crumbs on the bottom," Alexander explains.
There's also a Nanaimo Bar-style donut, with crumbs on the bottom, custard on the inside and chocolate on top.
They also make sure to cut the sugar in their dough so people can have more than one. She notes one woman came in, bought three, ate them and then ordered four more and started on those.
"I don't suggest you do that," she adds.
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