A new pop-up doughnut concept aims to make Baton Rouge sweeter

Dough Bros co-founder Ethan Shipp believes doughnuts should be fun. The young entrepreneur spent four months perfecting his doughnut recipe to bring this concept to Baton Rouge. 

Ethan and his twin brother Hadyn Shipp are from the Capital Region, and Ethan says they grew tired of hearing people complain that Baton Rouge is boring. As regulars of local doughnut shops, the two believed there was still room in the market for something different.

“It’s also bigger than just selling doughnuts,” says Ethan. “We wanted to make Baton Rouge a little more fun. … We want to invest in our community, invest in our city and bring some excitement to it in different ways.”

Dough Bros currently shows up to events with its own custom cart, but the plan is to operate from a food truck in the future. Ethan says he was inspired by some friends who operate coffee carts. 

Fun was built into the shop’s branding from the beginning. Ethan says they weren’t interested in neutral colors. The electric blue and bright lavender hues found on the business’s website also adorn its cart, and a playful, smiling doughnut serves as the mascot. In the Dough Bros’ posts and Instagram bio is the slogan “A doughnut won’t change your life, but it might change your Tuesday.” 

With help from friend and pastry chef Amy Gunnels, Ethan made over 1,000 doughnuts before deciding to share the confections with the public. After Gunnels showed him how to proof, mix and knead the dough, Ethan began practicing with ingredients purchased at Rouses Market and his KitchenAid mixer. After about four months of trials, he believes he’s finally perfected the recipes. 

Dough Bros currently offers four flavors: Milk Chocolate, Dough Bros Glazed, Brown Butter Glazed and Melted Praline. Hadyn had the idea to make the signature Dough Bros Glaze purple. The duo is currently transitioning to natural coloring, rather than food dyes, to achieve this look. Ethan says it is important to him to use all fresh ingredients for each batch. 

The Dough Bros’ first unofficial pop-up was held at the church the brothers attend in early August. 

A video the brothers posted on Instagram and TikTok gained a lot of attention, and soon local businesses began showing their support. Ethan is a regular at Magpie Cafe and Lighthouse Coffee, and both of the businesses were happy to host pop-up events and help distribute doughnuts. 

“We really think that Baton Rouge has always been a city that gets behind its own,” Ethan says. “It’s been very nice. We haven’t had to do any hard selling yet.”

The cart has been at two official pop-ups so far. Its first appearance was at the Ascension Business Expo in Gonzales on Aug. 27. After a successful day of handing out doughnuts to hungry business owners, the brothers returned home to begin preparing for their second pop-up that weekend. 

Magpie Cafe hosted the Dough Bros on Saturday, Aug. 29, and supporters began lining up before the cart was even set up. After only an hour and a half, all doughnuts were sold out. 

Besides pop-ups, weddings and catering, Dough Bros offers pick-up orders that can be retrieved at businesses like Lighthouse Coffee, Stir Coffee and Sweet Baton Rouge on certain days of the week. The bros also deliver to any location in Baton Rouge for a $15 fee.