Usually people first notice the size of the namesake cakes at LaMar’s Donuts – just one can easily yield leftovers (but of course, that rarely happens).
These days, though, they’re more likely to note that LaMar’s has become Ray’s Donuts. St. Louisan Bill Sanders and associates have “un-franchised” and separated the Brentwood and Olivette doughnut shops from the Lincoln, Neb.-based LaMar’s chain.
“We wanted the freedom to buy local ingredients, expand our menu and offer a more diverse product line,” said Sanders. “We may get onto cakes and pies, maybe even lunch.”
As a brand, Ray’s Donuts was inspired by a previous array of Ray’s Donuts shops here, Sanders said, but technically the two aren’t connected. “Ray’s was a local chain that went out of business in the ’70s, and we’re just resurrecting the name,” he explained. “A lot of people still have a lot of fond memories of it.”
Ray’s selection roughly resembles LaMar’s – but only for the moment, according to Sanders. “There are forthcoming changes in the menu, in a few months,” he said. “Different doughnuts, different styles, different creations.”
And what of the large, alien doughnut hovering just above the skyline? “I think the St. Louis doughnut scene is going to become crowded with [the imminent return of] Dunkin’ Donuts, but as far as quality goes, I’m not concerned – we have the best product that can possibly be made.”
Sanders cited the old-fashioned sour cream as his personal favorite Ray’s flavor: “It’s great with coffee.”
And the proper number of doughnuts to eat each day? “Four,” said Sanders. “Two doughnuts for breakfast, two doughnuts for lunch, then a balanced dinner.”
– Byron Kerman
This article appears in Dec 1-31, 2009.