Toronto just lost one of its best doughnut shops permanently
A beloved Toronto doughnut shop — and one widely considered to be among the city’s best — permanently closed its doors this weekend.
For the past 14 years, few doughnut shops in Toronto have come anywhere close to Glory Hole Doughnuts in the race for the city’s favourite.
The reason behind the doughnut shop’s (and eventual chain’s) success is twofold. Firstly, thanks to the doughnuts themselves — sizable, decadent and unique confections available at a palatable price — and, secondly, the warm, inclusive atmosphere present at each of the shop’s locations.
Ultimately, though, it can all be traced back to owner Ashley Jacot de Boinod.
Since Glory Hole’s inception back in 2011, community has been the shop’s motto, fostered through the shop’s cheeky name, its playful flavours, and Jacot de Boinod’s own warm nature. Of course, it also helped that her doughnuts were good.
Really good.
Still, even when your doughnuts consistently rank at the top of the class, business isn’t easy, and Jacot de Boinod never shied away from candidly sharing the good, the bad and the ugly of running her business.
From getting real with customers about the lasting economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent cost of living crisis to, later, openly sharing that she had decided to close the business entirely this summer, Jacot de Boinod has always offered earnest and clear glimpses into the reality of running a small business in Toronto.
Now, the day has officially come when Glory Hole Doughnuts is officially no more, after finishing up its last day of business on Sunday, Aug. 31.
True to form, after locking up for the last time, Jacot de Boinod took to Instagram to share the “big roller coaster of emotions” she felt after closing the shop down; feelings which, she explains in the video, included “happy, sad, disappointed, [and] grief.”
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“Anything you can think of, I have felt,” she says.
Jacot de Boinod notes in the video that the past 14 years of business have been nothing short of “incredible” and that all the support she’s received, particularly in the months leading up to the permanent closure of Glory Hole, has contributed to “the best send-off [she] could ever imagine.”
While Jacot de Boinod doesn’t dive too deep into the “layered and complex” specifics of her decision to close her business in the video, she does offer a little more insight into why she felt it was time to close this chapter.
When Jacot de Boinod initially got into the food industry, she explains, it was to create connections and build community through food; something she certainly achieved with Glory Hole, but as time went on, the tides of the industry began to shift.
Fewer people come to shop in person now, and delivery apps are rampant. On top of that, every small business owner who isn’t in a position to hire professional marketers and social media managers has to become those things on top of running their business.
Ultimately, Jacot de Boinod explains, these aren’t the things she got into the business for and, after two decades in the food industry, they’re simply things she doesn’t want to deal with anymore.
It may not be the end of Jacot de Boinod’s time on the food scene forever, though, but something’s got to give if she’s going to come back.
“I’m hoping, moving forward, the industry goes through a really big change and, you know, those things are less and less and we’re all sitting together enjoying food,” she explains in the video.
“It’s been 20 years of my life with food, and it’s just time to say goodbye.”
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Though she doesn’t divulge any specific details, Jacot de Boinod also alludes in the video to the new chapter she’s about to embark on. She informs her followers that the Glory Hole Instagram page will eventually be repurposed for her new venture, so you’ll want to keep an eye on it to keep up with her next moves.
Before closing out the video, and thus, Glory Hole Doughnuts’ reign in Toronto, Jacot de Boinod offers one last piece of advice to her fans and followers.
“If I have any tips for you, I really encourage you to continue to shop local if you can. I know things are stirring politically all over the world, so much so that it’s affecting what we can and can’t afford, and everyone’s really struggling, so if you’re able to at any point, please, please, please support all of our wonderful local businesses.”
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