Trails at 620 shop hits the sweet spot

What began as two friends baking small desserts in their shared apartment has led to a doughnut and dessert store off RR 620.

Angel Donuts & Treats sells everything from beignets and specialty donuts to espresso and bubble tea. The sweet spot's existence in the Trails at 620 development has its origins with friends and co-owners Angela Whiteman and Cyndra Larsen baking cake balls, Larsen said.

"Friends would love [the cake balls] and say, 'You should sell these,'" she said. "That kind of started it."

Whiteman's parents owned a doughnut store, but she said growing up she did not consider following in their footsteps. However, she, Larsen and fellow co-owner Vu Cao saw an opportunity to open a doughnut store in the Trails at 620 since there was not one in the area at the time.

When Angel's opened in September 2012, it was one of the first businesses in the Trails at 620. Larsen said their customer base continually increased as more businesses opened in the shopping center. The Trails at 620 now includes businesses such as a movie theater and sports bar and grill.

Given its location across the street from Concordia University, Whiteman and Larsen said they wanted the restaurant to be somewhere people could hang out, study and enjoy themselves. The clientele ranges from students and families to Bible study groups, Larsen said.

"We wanted to create a warm, inviting place," she said.

While it might sound like a dream job, Larsen said that running a doughnut shop is not easy. In opening the business from the ground up, the friends learned about everything from the construction permitting process to how many donuts to bake every day.

To have doughnuts ready by the store's 6:30 a.m. opening, an employee starts making some of the doughnuts at midnight. Larsen gets to the store at 2:30 a.m. to help in the process.

"It's harder than you picture," Larsen said. "You have this idealistic vision of, 'Oh, I really want to bake and have this amazing business and give people these amazing treats.' But you don't think about everything that goes into it."

Bubble tea and coffee drinks

Angel Donuts & Treats serves 10 types of bubble tea, which is a Taiwanese tea-based drink.

Bubble tea is a sweetened, flavored drink that can be served blended or over ice. At the bottom of the tea are chewy tapioca pearls.

Angel's co-owner Cyndra Larsen said the store sells bubble tea because no other businesses in the area offer it.

Bubble tea flavors include:

• Avocado
• Green tea
• Mango
• Strawberry

In addition to bubble tea, Angel's serves coffee and espresso drinks.

Making doughnuts

There are two basic types of doughnuts that are made in different ways, Angel Donuts & Treats co-owner Cyndra Larsen said.

Cake donuts are made from a batter that is mixed like a cake. The batter is put in a donut depositor, and the press of a button drops the batter rings into the fryer. An employee then flips the batter in the fryer.

Raised donuts come from a dough that uses yeast to ferment. Employees hand-roll the dough into a doughnut shape and then put the dough in the fryer.

Next, toppings and icings such as chocolate or sprinkles are added. The donuts then need to cool for about 30 minutes before being served, Larsen said.

Popular doughnuts and other sweets

The most popular donuts at Angel Donuts & Treats are glazed, chocolate-iced and apple fritters, co-owner Cyndra Larsen said.

The store's seasonal donuts are also a hit with customers, Larsen said. Angel's has a pumpkin pie donut in the fall and a peppermint bark donut in the winter.

In addition to donuts, Angel's sells sweets such as cake balls, doughnut holes, beignets and cupcakes.

Angel Donuts & Treats, 8300 N. RR 620, Bldg. A, Ste. 200, Austin, 512-330-4825, www.angeldonuts.com

• Mon.–Fri. 6:30 a.m.–9 p.m.
• Sat.–Sun. 7 a.m.–9 p.m.