EAT LOCAL MEDIA
February 03
Creator of Rose Dough Donuts, Katie Passo, is pictured. (Courtesy of Eat Local Ohio)
Donuts are a crowdpleaser: you perk up when you see them in the break room, you tack them onto your coffee order, and you order a dozen for Sunday breakfast.
Some like them old-fashioned, and others prefer cake, but it’s a safe bet to say that most love the sugary sweet. We’ll have a lot of them over our lifetimes, but there’s no donut like a Rose Dough Donut.
Rose Dough Donuts, located at 3375 N High Street, isn’t your run-of-the-mill donut. In fact, owner Katie Passo likes to say that her donuts are more like pastries.
Behind the Brioche
Passo jokingly refers to her donut ventures as her “second act,” as she worked in PR and marketing for nearly 20 years before she opened Rose Dough Donuts.
“I kind of got burnt out of that corporate life and decided to leave and look for something else,” says Passo.
COVID came soon after, and Passo and her husband chose to isolate very seriously. She mentions that the two of them wanted donuts, and since Passo grew up baking with her mother and grandmothers, she decided to give it a shot.
“I was like, ‘I’m pretty sure I can make us donuts so we don’t have to leave the house or go anywhere.’”
Lockdown gave Passo plenty of time and opportunity to experiment with different flavors and styles. With ample time to perfect recipes, Passo began thinking about her next career and whether that could be in the food or baking business.
“I didn’t want to have a full-service bakery with 100 different items. I started thinking about the donuts we were making and also when we would come back to Columbus,” says Passo. “We were living in Chicago at the time.”
Passo and her husband, the “Chief Glazing Officer” of Rose Dough, planned to move back to Columbus to be closer to family. She felt that, while there are plenty of amazing donut shops around Columbus, she could nestle herself into the specialty donut niche.
And thus, Rose Dough Donuts began at the 1400 Food Lab, a local membership-based commercial kitchen. Passo felt the temporary space would help her get a footing for the brand, and getting rid of the mass amount of frying in her home was a plus.
Growth was always on her mind as Passo spent about a year and a half searching for the perfect storefront location.
“We actually live here in Clintonville, so I was always wishing secretly that we could open the shop in our neighborhood,” Passo laughs. “This stretch has so many other awesome small businesses and shops, so I was really excited when this spot came out.”
Where all the magic happens. (Courtesy of Rose Dough Donuts / Google)
The particular stretch of High St. where Rose Dough Donuts is now is only a few minutes from standout shops like the antique mall Eclectiques and Virtue Vegan Salon.
“It’s awesome (being so close). When I forget something, it’s great to be close to home, or when I get up at 2 a.m. to make donuts. It’s very convenient to zip on down here.”
It isn’t just a location, either. Passo is deeply involved with the community, as Rose Dough Donuts has partnered with the Clintonville Resource Center since the beginning.
“We donate to them every month, and we do fun events like donuts and yoga,” says Passo. “I’m glad that we can be involved in the community where we live, shop, work, and support.”
And with as much love as Passo gives Clintonville, the community has welcomed her just as warmly. For the first few months, there were lines of eager patrons eager to get in early to try the flavor they had their eye on.
“I tell people, don’t be scared of the line,” Passo says. “If you come at 10:30 a.m., there’s really no line, and there’s plenty of selection left.”
Local Farms, Local Ingredients
“I really wanted to use local producers and farmers because we’re in the Midwest, and they’re plentiful! I thought that was really important, and I’ve literally visited every farm or producer we work with.”
How many people can say they’ve seen the chickens that produce the eggs they use in their bakery every day?
From dairy to wheat, Passo has seen and visited them all, ensuring that, from simply harvesting the ingredients to baking them, there’s special care being put into these donuts.
“We’re the only place doing a from-scratch, French cruller. It’s hand-piped, so it’s gonna taste a little different than your average place, but I think you really can taste the difference in quality.”
Passo says that time and time again, customers have come in and noticed this difference in this particular donut, but that doesn’t come without curious crowds.
“I think some people are maybe shocked by the price. We make everything from scratch. We don’t use any shelf-stable buckets of frosting or pre-made mixes,” says Passo. “It’s one of the reasons why I wanted to call this a specialty.”
While there is a time and place for a cheap dollar donut from a big-name brand, Rose Dough Donuts are more pastry than cheap thrill. Donuts range from $5 to $8, with single donuts and donut holes.
The price is on-par with a daily coffee, but the flavors do not disappoint. Passo isn’t far off by calling these donuts a specialty. She’s serving up flavors you wouldn’t even think to associate with a donut.
Fantastical Flavors
When we stopped into Rose Dough Donuts back in November, Passo was serving up the classics alongside F.R.I.E.N.D.S. and Wicked-themed donuts.
Her creativity has no limits, as we ogled references like “Rachel’s Trifle” and “Phoebe’s Nestlé Toulouse Cookie.” We paired that with one of “Elphaba’s Matcha Lemon Cheesecake Brioche,” which was wickedly flavorful.
Sometimes all you need is a good donut.
“I’m not afraid to do some crazy, unique flavors, like blood orange, with a sage whipped cream and blood orange glaze,” says Passo. “Or the brown butter brulee. We sprinkle on sugar and then torch it.”
The monthly flavors rotate, but fan-favorites, such as the aforementioned brulee, and classics will remain. The creativity never fails, though, with new flavors.
Over the holidays, Rose Dough Donuts featured pretty creative shapes, too. You could stop in and grab a Little Debbie Christmas Tree donut, shaped just like the fan-favorite treat.
And, naturally, a Block “O” donut alongside a “Brutus Sprinkle” and Buckeye Brioche in honor of the Buckeyes.
Alongside the donuts, you can order a cup of Pink Flamingo coffee to wash it all down. Take our word for it and splurge on a house syrup: they make any coffee better.
Though the shoppe is currently taking a small winter break, Rose Dough Donuts will be back and better than ever on January 24th. They’ll be celebrating their 4th business anniversary with a “Fruits & Floral” menu inspired by the traditional 4th wedding anniversary gift.
And, if you’re worried about snagging a certain flavor, you can place a pre-order on the Rose Dough Donuts website Monday-Wednesday, or until sell-out. Pick-up times are Saturday & Sunday from 10 a.m. until 12 p.m.
It’s a quick alternative to waiting in line: you place the order, walk in, and grab the box labeled with your name off the shelves to the left of the register.
Pre-orders will reopen on January 19th ahead of the reopening on the 24th.
Visit Rose Dough Donuts!
3375 N High St, Columbus
Are you our next featured spot? Please send all inquiries, comments, and questions to mnader@eatlocalohio.com.