From pink painted walls to pretty puff pastries, Royal Donut is now serving up delight and deliciousness in Champaign. With its grand opening Tuesday, Champaign-Urbana residents are now able to stop by and pick up a fresh donut or hot coffee throughout the day. 

The new location replaces Pandamonium Doughnuts at 1105 W. Windsor Road and will be open every day from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. This is the second Royal Donut location to open, with the first located at 911 N. Vermilion St. in Danville, Illinois. 

With Pandamonium only closing five months ago, the opening has been a quick turnaround for employees. According to the new location’s general manager, Barry Callahan, Royal Donut was in a unique position when starting the revamp, with little to be done physically to the store.

“A lot of it, though, is a blessing, because it was already set up for a donut shop, so you don’t get that too often,” Callahan said. “Sometimes, if you’re a restaurant, you might be going into something where you have to revamp everything. But in this situation, they already had a fryer, they already had a hood, they already had pretty much everything we needed.”

Despite their lucky position, Callahan and other employees still had plenty of work to do to ensure the new Royal Donut location brings the same positive atmosphere it’s known for in Danville to Champaign. 

According to Callahan, he has basically been living at the shop. He and other employees have been there preparing almost every day.

One way Callahan has brought a piece of the old personality to the Champaign location is through a mural he painted inside the store. This painting portrays the Danville Royal Donut building and sign as an homage to the original location.

Royal Donut has been serving old-fashioned donuts at the Danville location since 1973 and has grown to be a staple for Danville locals. From glazed donuts to cinnamon rolls the size of your hand, Royal Donut continues serving the same staples its customers loved over 50 years ago. 

“We’re not trying to reinvent the wheel,” Callahan said. “They’re just trying to keep it rolling.” 

Old-fashioned donuts are a go-to breakfast for many, and now the Royal Donut team is thrilled to provide a whole new town with their staple sweet treats.

“We’re super stoked to be here, and I mean every single crew member is just really excited for opening day,” Callahan said. “I hope everyone else is excited, too.”

While Callahan started as an employee at Royal Donut about a year ago, he’s been a customer since childhood. Callahan is excited to see the store branch out to a new neighborhood and hopes everyone loves what it brings to Champaign. 

“As far as nostalgia goes, I have a lot of good childhood memories of going there with my mom when I was a kid,” Callahan said. “I’m hoping the same thing happens at this location, too, where a lot of good memories happen in this new spot.”

Now, Callahan is a parent himself and often brings his three children to grab a donut and some coffee before school and work. He’s grateful to be able to provide his kids with the same memories he holds so fondly. 

The new manager isn’t the only one excited about seeing a childhood classic in a new location. In fact, attending the grand opening were many familiar with the original location, including Katie Bateman. She currently lives in Champaign, but also has memories of Royal Donut from childhood. 

“We’re from Danville, we grew up eating these donuts,” Bateman said. “We’re so excited they’re here in Champaign. It’s really nice to have our Danville favorites.”

Lynn Kincaid and Betsy Alderman also arrived at the shop together bright and early to secure some of their favorites during the grand opening. Alderman grew up in Danville and has been familiar with Royal Donut since childhood as well. 

The two learning about the new opening online were happy to secure their angel cream donuts this morning. Alderman also shared that she was quite satisfied with the service provided by employees. 

“They’re really good — moving fast — and friendly,” Alderman said. 

Kincaid is also familiar with Royal Donut’s sister shop, Mad Goat Coffee, which was founded in 2013. Select Mad Goat drinks are sold in Royal Donut, and Mad Goat locations also serve Royal Donut. Thanks to the new location, Kincaid and other residents are now able to get both a locally made donut and coffee in Champaign. 

“I like to support small businesses,” Kincaid said. “So it’s great to see them trying to expand.”

C-U locals appear to be just as avid about shopping local as Kincaid, since a line had already formed outside the door only half an hour after opening. While some customers just stopped in to grab a donut and coffee, others were walking out with three dozen of their favorite donuts. 

While only time will tell how successful this new location can be, current customers and employees seem to be thrilled that a new community gets to experience the shop in ways the Danville community has for years. 

[email protected]