Dutch Girl Donuts
Donut shop · Detroit
19000 Woodward Ave, Detroit, MI 48203
Highlights
Classic donuts, emphasis on taste, light, airy, and fluffy texture
Classic donuts, emphasis on taste, light, airy, and fluffy texture
"This 24-hour shop is accepting preorders from Tuesday, February 18 through Saturday, February 22 for 3-plus dozen paczki in three pre-mixed sets with flavors of raspberry, strawberry, lemon, apple, custard, cherry, and buttercream. They’ll be available for pickup on the Monday before and on Fat Tuesday. For those who don’t mind a line, the shop will begin selling paczki for walk-ins at 5 a.m. on Monday, March 3, and through the holiday." - Courtney Burk
"The long-running Woodward Avenue shop — a multi-generational favorite known for its fried glazed doughnuts — is returning to round-the-clock service beginning Tuesday, September 24, operating continuously from 6 a.m. Tuesday until 6 p.m. Sunday and closing on Mondays as a way to honor its past and better serve early risers and night owls. The business, founded by John and Cecelia Timmer in 1947 and later run by their son Gene Timmer until his death in September 2021, had closed that month amid staffing and family health challenges but was acquired by Paddy Lynch in November 2023 and reopened in May 2024. Since reopening, the new owner — who also runs the historic Schvitz bathhouse and is a third-generation funeral director with Lynch & Sons — has invested in new equipment and repairs, introduced seasonal flavors, and pursued local collaborations, including a cold brew partnership with Highland Park–based Becharas Brothers Coffee Co. and a limited-run red velvet ice cream made with bits of the shop’s red velvet doughnut holes from Ray’s Ice Cream Co." - Serena Maria Daniels
"On a stormy Saturday morning I stood in a long line for boxes of glazed wonders from Dutch Girl Donuts, which reopened on May 11 after being closed for more than two years following an indefinite shutdown in September 2021 due to staffing and family health problems and the subsequent death of owner Gene Timmer at 75. By 6 a.m. patrons were parked outside and huddled under a small awning as workers meticulously prepared and glazed doughnuts behind the counter; the crowd—cheering, honking, and swapping fond memories—raved about the classic glazed and the blueberry doughnut, praising their light, airy, fluffy, irresistibly soft texture and speculating about a hint of cinnamon that gives them a distinctive warmth. New owner Paddy Lynch (owner of the Schvitz, a historic bathhouse) removed the “sold out” sign and said the shop has been refurbished—with many older tables restored (including the staple window table), some new equipment installed, and Jon Timmer staying on to train a new generation of doughnut-makers—while workers greeted customers with dances, hugs, and assurances that there were plenty of doughnuts to go around. Longtime customers and local news figures echoed that it still tastes like the Dutch Girl they remember, though the phone number and hours printed on the boxes are outdated." - Courtney Burk
"A beloved doughnut shop that is being revived by buyer Paddy Lynch, who plans to work with former staff including Jon Timmer; the relaunch is expected in April pending equipment arrival and will aim to restore the shop’s classic offerings and heritage." - Serena Maria Daniels
"A historic donut institution is being revived by a local preservationist, with plans to restore and relaunch the beloved shop as part of ongoing efforts to bring back cherished neighborhood businesses." - Serena Maria Daniels
