Chardon may have a new doughnut shop in town, but it certainly is no stranger to Geauga County.
Chardon may have a new doughnut shop in town, but it certainly is no stranger to Geauga County.
Maggie’s Doughnuts recently opened its doors at 301 Center St., marking the seventh store for the company — with two in Middlefield and one in Madison, Hiram, Orwell and a seasonal location in Geneva.
“Chardon is filled with such nice people,” said owner Alissa Hogue. “Everyone has been so welcoming.”
Hogue, 18, may be a new owner, but she is not new to doughnuts. In fact, she grew up with them.
Her step-father, Bill Poole, is the longtime owner of Maggie’s. For many years, she has observed the ins and outs of the business.
“I’ve seen my step-dad, Bill, go through all the negative parts of owning a business and it kind of turned me away I guess,” Hogue said.
However, Chardon’s cozy location ended up eventually winning her over.
“I fell in love with it,” she said, recalling how it all came together.
She and Poole were waiting for Square Bistro on Chardon Square to open. To pass the time, they walked into some nearby stores and when they walked into The Nest, the owner spied Poole’s Maggie’s shirt and commented he needed to open a store in Chardon.
The very next day, a real estate agent friend called about the Center Street location.
“I don’t know what made me fall in love with it,” Hogue said. “Maybe it was my first time doing the layout on my own.”
Hogue, who had previously helped her mother layout other Maggie’s stores, got to try her hand at the Chardon location and could immediately imagine where everything would go.
“Plus, the idea that I could make up the hours and am in control” added to the appeal, she said.
To help seal the deal, Hogue’s original post-high school plans had changed. After struggling with online high school and college classes due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Hogue knew she needed a different direction.
“It was completely new to me to do everything online. It was horrible,” she said. “I like helping people and putting smiles on people’s faces. Bill taught me the customer is always right and now I can make my own decisions about that.”
So far, the customers are happy and the doughnuts are selling well. The store, which opened on Sept. 23, is already “exceeding my expectations,” Hogue said.
“We were hoping for a minimum of 50 dozen (doughnuts per day) and I’ve gone through more than that every day,” she said.
The first Saturday the Chardon store was open, it sold out of 110 dozen doughnuts with two and a half hours to go.
“I’m going to order more doughnuts for this Saturday,” Hogue promised.
Maggie’s Doughnuts are made from the same 1959 recipe they started with, according to the website.
“Ours are made fresh every day — handmade,” Hogue added. “Most places don’t do that and Maggie’s does. We always strive to keep the same flavor. You can really taste the difference.”
Maggie’s Doughnuts in Chardon is open 5:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays, 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays and 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sundays.
