Beloved Colonial Do-Nut reopening with new owners. Who, when and will donuts be the same?

TAUNTON — There are few things in life that are as nice as reuniting with an old friend.

Especially after an absence.

Lately, Tauntontonians and residents in surrounding communities have been looking forward to reuniting with one old friend in particular: Colonial Do-Nut Shop.

The beloved institution at 91 Broadway closed in 2022 after more than 70 years in business.

Since then, the iconic donut shop has sat, empty and quiet, though looking much the same as always.

Things were left just as they were on the counters, looking almost as if the space was just waiting for customers to return to their seats at the counter once more and place their orders.

Now, the wait is almost over.

Who are new owners?

Brian Levesque, co-owner of Grove Street Tavern in Taunton, and his wife Kerlin are now the co-owners of Colonial Do-Nut Shop.

And they’re working hard on making the donuts, and getting the shop reopened.

Since the news initially broke on Facebook in May, anticipation has been high.

When will Colonial Do-Nuts reopen?

“Right now we are targeting a mid-July opening date,” Brian Levesque said in an email to The Taunton Daily Gazette. “There are a lot of things that we need to do to get ready and we are just now starting to get fully involved with the process due to our current schedules.”

And those schedules are full.

Levesque was supposed to retire from his full-time job in mid-April, but due to unforeseen circumstances, he delayed his departure, he said.

“As of now I have shifted from full-time to a part-time basis, which will now allow me to focus more on opening Colonial. This is the biggest reason why we were not able to open as early as we originally hoped,” Levesque said.

Being a co-owner of Grove Street Tavern also demands a lot of his time, and Kerlin Levesque is also a full-time interpreter for the Bristol County Court System. Kerlin will remain in that role, in addition to assisting with the donut shop.

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They might be busy, but they are certainly committed to this endeavor.

“Needless to say, a typical week for us will be pretty busy! But we are extremely excited to get going!” Brian Levesque said.

When the donut shop closed in 2022, Levesque said he immediately inquired about the possibility of buying it.

But at the time, it was not for sale.

“Every time I drove by it all I could think about was opening it back up,” he said.

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Levesque has had a life-long connection to the place, as well as the former owners, the Georges.

“First of all, just like most people in this city, I'm a huge fan of Colonial,” Levesque said. “I've been going there as a customer since I was a toddler and love everything about it. My dad, Paul Levesque, worked there in the mid-50s when he was in high school. He had a wonderful relationship with Fred and Peter George and worked with Peter in the Taunton school system for many years. When Bob and Mike George took over the shop, my brother Peter worked there when he was in high school around 1979.”

And then, the right chance came along.

“I was in communication with Jay Pateakos, executive director of Economic and Community Development for the City of Taunton, who I've been working with for a couple of years on various projects,” Levesque said. “He knew that I had an interest in Colonial and reached out to me the day it was put on the market. We jumped on it right away.”

The potential for Colonial’s return didn’t go unnoticed, either.

“We started the negotiations for this deal back in October of last year,” Levesque said. “The first time we went over to the building to do a walk through it was already creating a stir. It was at night so we had the lights on in the shop. Almost every car driving by slowed down to look in and see what was going on. People were blasting their horns and waving. Word spread immediately on social media that night that ‘the lights were on at Colonial!’ We did a pretty good job of keeping everything under wraps until we approached the closing date for the deal.”

Once the deal was done, the word was out, and the excitement from locals only grew from there.

“Mayor (Shaunna) O'Connell was patiently waiting for us to give her the green light to post on the City's Facebook page about the reopening,” Levesque said. “Once she did, Facebook blew up with excitement. Since then we have received non-stop feedback from everyone in town sharing their anticipation.”

The Levesques have made this a labor of love, for the community that grew up around the Colonial Do-Nut Shop over the years.

“This place is ingrained into the fabric of this city,” Levesque said. “It's a little bit like a time capsule that you can walk into and feel like you are back in time. And what really makes the place so special … is the environment that the George family created and cultivated over the years. The sense of community and family is second to none. We are looking to step in and carry on every bit of that vibe and product and to carry on this deep-rooted tradition in this city.”

Donuts will be made same way with same ingredients

And, while ownership has changed hands, Levesque said he intends to keep everything else the same, right down to the donuts.

The Georges have stepped up to provide training during the transition, too.

“Part of the deal for this to happen is that we wanted to ensure that nothing changes,” Levesque said. “All of the donuts will be made the same way with the same ingredients. The Georges will be involved with training us in every aspect of the business. They will also be present once we open to say hi to all of the loyal customers that they have acquired over the years and to make sure we uphold the standards that started back in 1951.”

As of right now, once they open, Levesque said the plan is to be open seven days a week, from 5 a.m. to noon.

Levesque also thanked those who have helped to make this happen, as the community looks forward to the return of one of its most beloved eateries.

“Kerlin and I are very blessed to have this opportunity to re-open Colonial Do-Nut Shop and there are a lot of people that have worked very hard to make it happen,” Levesque said. “Bristol County Savings Bank, SEED Corp., Attorney Frank Biedak, Percy Law Group, the City of Taunton, and many others. We pray that we can live up to everyone's expectations and that we can continue to provide Taunton and the surrounding communities with such a special place in so many people's hearts … and stomachs!”

Herald News/Taunton Daily Gazette copy editor and digital producer Kristina Fontes can be reached at [email protected]. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Herald News and Taunton Daily Gazette today.

This article originally appeared on The Herald News: Colonial Do-Nut Shop in Taunton reopening? When, plus more answers