When Jan (last name withheld) first started working at Mister Donut, she never thought she would be the owner years later.

In 1987, Jan and her sisters decided to buy the donut shop. Around the same time, the Dunkin Donut franchise wanted to buy out the Mister Donut to eliminate competition. However, the new owners did not want that. Thus, an independent business was born.

Since they could not legally keep the original name—Mister Donut—they held a contest to find a new name for their store. One customer entered the name “Spunky Dunkers.”

It stuck.

Not only does the donut shop sell donuts, they also make muffins, bagels, brownies, cupcakes, and cinnamon rolls. Taylor (last name withheld), a senior at New Trier, said, “You can get coffee and pie and other pastries, but the main thing is the large variety of [donuts]. There are so many flavors!”

Spunky Dunkers has 35 kinds of donuts in addition to their monthly flavors. Jan said, “Saturday is the busiest day we have…we bake twice a day and we’ll go through 50 pounds of yeast in one shift.”

Making 35 types of donuts is no small project. Jan said that they typically start around three or four in the morning and baking can take five or six hours. At this time of year, she said they sometimes start even earlier.

Jan said that she and her partners cut the donuts by hand, unlike other donut places that cut their donuts using machines.

Wayne Langhorst, New Trier girls’ freshman basketball coach and Palatine native, said, “The donuts are very fresh and taste great. They have a flavor that beats other donuts. The donuts also seem to last longer.”

Spunky Dunkers also sells boxed up, day-old donuts. Jan said, “We don’t like to throw anything out.” She added, “Some people even prefer the day-old donuts.”

As for the flavors of the donuts, they include the classics: crème-filled, powdered, coconut, and peanut. Moreover, Spunky Dunkers has “flavors of the month” donuts, October’s include Apple Crisp, Taffy Apple, and pumpkin cake. “Next month it will just be pumpkin,” said Jan.

Taylor, who visited Spunky Dunkers in August for the first time, said, “I got a red velvet donut. I would definitely get that again. They even have a peanut butter and jelly donut [flavor of the month donut for August].”

Unfortunately for New Trier students, Palatine isn’t exactly the closest place to satisfy a donut craving. However, Taylor said, “It took me about half an hour to get there… but it was worth it.” Agreeing with her, Langhorst added, “The donuts taste great and you need to try them. The drive is worth it.”

Of course, the family-owned donut shop has its regulars, like Langhorst. Regulars usually sit at the counter. “At different hours of the day, you have different groups,” said Jan.

Langhorst said, “We have been going to Spunky for about 19 years…about the time we moved to Palatine.” Langhorst also encourages people to check out the donut shop because it’s a “fun place to go with a very friendly staff.”

If you go to Spunky Dunkers try the Chocolate Crème puff. The moist, chocolate donut with the sweet vanilla frosting is outstanding. Normally, I am not a fan of filled donuts, but this is the best donut I have ever had.

if neither filled donuts nor chocolate are not your favorite, the red velvet is equally delicious.

Jan said Spunky Dunkers is different from other donut shops: “we bake twice a day, we hand cut our donuts and our loving touch goes into each donut.”

Taste the “loving touch” at Spunky Dunker’s new location at 3441 N Arlington Heights Road, Arlington Heights and also at the original location at 20 S. Northwest Highway, Palatine.