Donuts are to 2018 what cupcakes were to 2008.
This trendy culinary factoid is brought to you by Danielle Botz and Kayla Horne, the two minds behind a new Casper food truck concept called Joe+Dough.
Botz is the artisan donut maker behind Scratch Confections, while Horne is one-half of the brains behind craft coffee makers Mukwano Coffee Roasters that she runs with her husband Matthew.
The new business partners met while selling their respected culinary delights at area farmers markets, and before long became good friends. That friendship also tended to help out financially.
“I think last year was when we started to push to be set up next to each other,” recalls Botz. “I sell more donuts when I sit next to Kayla and she sells more coffee when she sits next to me.”
“It’s a classic combination, but the way we do our products is different,” said Botz. “We both have taken this classic staple of a food and tried to amp it up.”
“We love to see people smile, it’s so fun to see a kid eat their first bite of a donut and just giggle,” said Horne.
The next logical step for their hip treats was to go full on Brooklyn-style hipster and hop on the food truck trend.
Like their food, they started from scratch.
First they bought a new small trailer. Then some equipment. Next it was a matter of finding fabricators who could help transform the trailer into a tiny mobile kitchen that met strict health codes. The process took several months.
On a recent sunny afternoon, Joe+Dough quietly held a soft opening in Botz’s driveway.
Friends and neighbors who’d followed the process on social media came by and put in orders. The opening among friends gave Botz and Horne a chance to figure out a workflow inside the cramped space. Horne worked the window and made coffee as Botz crafted each donut by hand using a small fryer and workspace.
And customers smiled.
Botz’s signature donuts are chocolate, maple, a coffee glaze and vanilla bean glaze. She’ll rotate other variations and flavors.
Horne says since the truck’s activity will be mostly during warmer moths that she expects to sell a lot of cold brew coffee, made in a strict cold brew process. “We let (the beans) steep for a specific amount of time, we keep it cold…it pulls out flavors you just can’t believe are there,” said Horne.
The two have also come up with a tantalizing coffee drink called the Joedough that mixes cold brew, ice cream and day-old donuts all blended.
“So far we have had great reactions,” said Horne.
The two are working out which events this summer to park, and hope to have a regular spot during non-events.
They expect to debut their truck to the public during the upcoming spring Funky Junk festival in central Casper.
