This year, Tiffany Youst took on one of the most challenging challenges in business.
Not only did she open a business, she re-opened an iconic and beloved Schuylkill County brand. So, take the pressures of opening a business – and there are plenty – and then double that … or more.
Back in September, Youst re-opened the doors on Plain n Fancy Donuts in Schuylkill Haven.
The brand has been serving up handmade donuts for generations here in Schuylkill County. And when it closed temporarily, there was definitely a void felt locally.
Youst took on the pressure of reviving the brand and has added a little bit more than people had come to expect over the years from Plain n Fancy.
“Super stressful. Super super stressful,” Youst told The Canary at the business’s ribbon cutting back in October.
Customer expectations, of course, are that Plain n Fancy will immediately start creating the donuts that Schuylkill County locals have come to love over the years. Youst was well aware of those expectations. There was just one thing in the way … she’d never made a donut.
Youst owns Mother Bear’s Pretzels but making pretzels and making donuts are two completely different processes. She recalled a moment soon after opening Plain n Fancy when that donut-making process went awry and they ended up with a batch of fermented, inedible donuts. This had happened soon after she heard that people were excited about the shop reopening in Schuylkill Haven.
“I’m glad that everybody’s so happy because I feel like a flattened, fermented donut,” she recalled. “It’s stressful. It’s not easy. It’s a very long process.”
To help make the transition a little smoother, Youst was lucky enough to get the services and expertise of Lonnie McKeone, the previous owner of the donut shop. And she’s been helping in the kitchen to help the new staff make the donuts the Plain n Fancy way.
Over time, Youst expects to get these processes down pat and revive Plain n Fancy as a Schuylkill County brand. But she knows that there will always be people out there who will say it isn’t the same.
“Lonnie is here with me. So we’re doing what she tells us to do,” Youst says. “I can’t say that it’s going to be exactly the same but they’re as close as they’re going to get.”
The headquarters for Plain n Fancy are still in the same location, at 120 St. Charles St. in Schuylkill Haven. That’s the same but when you walk inside, things are definitely different. The retail area is renovated and modernized. There’s also a brand new dining area, too.
Plain n Fancy’s menu – that includes another local favorite, sticky buns – is vastly expanded, too. You’ll definitely find donuts but you can also get breakfast sandwiches served on pretzel buns. Youst says they’re phenomenal.
Lunch is also served with everything from burgers, ham or turkey and Swiss melts, cheesesteaks, and pizza on the menu. And of course, there are pretzels.
A drink menu includes Guers line of beverages, fountain sodas, and a barista menu with lattes, cappuccino, cold brew, and espresso.
Learn more about the business and get updates about Plain n Fancy by following them on Facebook and Instagram.
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