Homer's Donuts: The Simpsons-inspired donut shop is a big hit in Montreal

Content of the article

When it's 1 a.m. and most people are safe and sound in their beds, Terry Axiotis' 18-hour day is just beginning.

The owner of Homer's Donuts, Montreal's newest trendy food sensation, has been overwhelmed by the reaction to his shop. People have been standing in line since the first day on March 25.

Content of the article

You won't find day-old donuts in Homer — inspired by the patriarch from The Simpsons — and you'd be hard-pressed to even find one more than an hour old. That's because Homer sells donuts faster than his crew can make them—currently about 5,000 donuts a day.

Content of the article

On the store's Instagram page, it lists business hours as daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., or while supplies last.

“We were completely sold out on Day 1, so we doubled our production and sold out again on Day 2,” Axiotis said Wednesday morning as he and his crew cooked and packed boxes to prepare for another busy day. while lying down. “So we doubled every day after that and we're selling out every day. Now it's over. We go through 200 kilos of dough a day.”

Also, five people in the state quadrupled to 20. Axiotis hopes to hire more employees so they can take a few hours off. On Wednesday, he said he was completely unfazed by the hectic pace of working from 1 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day and was fueled by success.

Toggle full screen modePrevious Gallery image

1. 

2. 

3. 

4. 

5. 

6. 

7. 

8. 

Next Gallery imageToggle gallery captions

All 8 photos for the gallery

The function is not available

Full screen is not supported in this browser version.

You can use a different browser or device to view this in full screen.

OK

Content of the article

Content of the article

“We're not in a lot of trouble; “It's always better to have more customers than less, but if you want to make everyone happy, you have to work hard,” he said.

Blame Instagram and TikTok. Influencers hit the ground running in the first week, and people came out in droves to test the new product.

The longest line was on Saturday, when customers lined up for an hour and a half to get their hands on the donuts in freezing temperatures and rain. Lines have been a regular feature of the store, but Axiotis said he and his staff have become more efficient in processing orders and dramatically reduced wait times in recent days.

“All of Montreal has been very supportive so far and we hope to continue that,” he said. “We had people from all over the city, but people told me they came from as far away as Trois-Rivières and Victoriaville.”

The overnight success was a years-long process. Axiotis has taken over a storefront on Sherbrooke St. Vet at the corner of Grand Blvd. two years ago. Part owner of Boustan, two doors down, he wanted a product that would complement, not compete with, the offering at the Lebanese restaurant. He then spent time perfecting the recipes and testing them on staff at Bustan and other friends and family members. Axiotis tested the products again after receiving them and installed the correct donut making equipment.

Content of the article

Launching the store into the social media stratosphere was not a business plan. In fact, Axiotis was hoping for a soft launch to properly train its employees before making a big splash, so it knew not to do any social media advertising.

“But one influencer came here, and then I think they all came here, and it was just huge,” he said.

“We knew it was going to be good, but we didn't think it was going to go away so quickly,” Axiotis added. “Since Tim Hortons and Dunkin' Donuts were big, the donut has always been around. Maybe because they don't do it in the store, people are still looking for it — to see them make donuts in front of people.”

Montreal is experiencing a donut revolution, led by shops like Leché Desserts, DoughNats and Bernie Beigne. Axiotis was hoping to cash in on the trend, given the lack of major donut shops in the NDG area.

On Wednesday, customers flocked to the store before its official opening time of 10 a.m., hoping to get their hands on the freshest donuts. Axiotis gladly accepted this obligation.

“I live five blocks away and this is my fifth attempt at a donut; I finally got six,” said Ray Hagel, holding a cardboard box. “I came three times and the lines were too long. Then I arrived and they were sold out. I'm glad they were successful. That's the great thing about the 'hood.'

In the coming weeks and months, Axiotis plans to take steps to further increase donut production. He said that if the weather permits, he will set up tables and chairs both in the shop and outside. He's also going to serve coffee when he loses the fun pace of rinsing donuts as quickly as possible.

[email protected]

twitter.com/jasonmagder

Content of the article

Content of the article