WTVM Editorial 04/06/22: The Donut Wars

COLUMBUS, Ga. (WTVM) - In a very divided country, we need to celebrate the things that bring us together.

Many things might fit the bill, but perhaps none better than the delicious, All-American donut – because who doesn’t like donuts?

Columbus clearly loves donuts. New locations and new donut vendors make donuts the talk of Columbus. You might call it the Donut Wars, but in a good way.

Most recently, Golden Donuts, a company owned by three local families, added to their longtime Manchester Expressway location by opening a new store in the old Wynnton Road Burger King.

Golden Donuts feature what they call their “waterfall of glaze.”

Golden Donuts investment in midtown is a welcome sign of a business dedicated to improving the lives of their customers, their workers, and our local economy.

Fried dough was a common food staple in many cultures, but most historians agree we have Dutch immigrants in New York to thank for the Americanized donut we enjoy today.

At the 1934 World’s Fair in Chicago, donuts were touted as the “hit food” of the century. For the cost of a nickel back then, even people suffering in the Great Depression could afford a donut.

Columbus’ own Veri Best Donuts debuted twenty years later, in 1954, first on Macon Road, then in Uptown.

Just like Golden Donuts, Veri Best Donuts is a homegrown success.

The owners had to close shop in 2016, but when they returned in 2021, popular demand caused fans to line up for hours to buy their donuts.

Veri Best will have an Uptown competitor by late summer when Parlor Donuts opens in the new Highside Market.

Then there is Canada’s famous Tim Horton’s donut and coffee brand, also coming soon…to Veteran’s Parkway, making the local donut wars go international.

Dunkin’ Donuts is as famous in America as Tim Horton’s is in Canada, with Dunkin’ now offering much more than donuts – expanding their menu to include items like avocado toast and sandwiches.

Krispy Kreme is another classic donut shop – with its attention-getting “Hot Now” sign telling customers to come and get their glazed donuts while they’re hot.

And Columbus’s Best Donuts is yet another new locally-owned entrant in the category, setting up shop across from the Wynnton Road Wendy’s.

No matter which donut is your favorite, we can all celebrate the fact that there are no fewer than seven separate donut shops to choose from.

So we encourage you to support the local donut wars and do it often.

Because, after all, who doesn’t like donuts?

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