The doughnut news is good: After more than 70 years in business, South City’s Donut Drive-In is spreading the wealth. A new sister shop – Donut Drive-Up (8950 Manchester Road; Brentwood) – will open by the end of May in the former To Go Sushi space.
Owner Kevin McKernan bought the original Donut Drive-In (6525 Chippewa Street) in 2020 after it went on the market in 2019. He was rescuing South City from a future without cinnamon twists and chocolate iced custards, and he was preserving his past – a childhood studded with vanilla long Johns and fritters from that old drive-in which was just three or so blocks from his house. “The idea is to have fun,” he says of the new venture, which amounts to not much more than a 450-square-foot booth with a hatch.
McKernan says the concept was born during the pandemic when the Drive-In acquired a security-guard kiosk from which to safely dispense its online-ordered doughnuts. It will be the same principle here. But because of limited space and to avoid selling out, doughnuts will need to be pre-ordered by 4 p.m. the day before. Random assortments, however, will be available for people just passing by. In addition to old favorites like blueberry doughnuts, apple fritters and holes – all to be made fresh daily in the South City location – McKernan says he plans on offering soft serve ice cream (because he loves it) and coffee. “My business model is really this: Why don’t we get a booth and have a blast?”
McKernan also says his geography isn’t that good, but that Donut Drive-Up — “roughly speaking” – is located in a parking lot near Schnucks at the corner of Brentwood Boulevard and Manchester Road.
Don’t worry, we’ll find it.
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