Mr. Donut is a vanishing species here in America. He thrives in Japan with over 1300 stores but there’s just one last remaining Mr. Donut here in the U.S.A. The last Mr. Donut is located about two and a half hours from Peoria in Godfrey, Illinois. Now if you think that sounds like the perfect equation for an MBIP road trip, you’re absolutely correct! And like all MBIP road trips, this one begins with a knock at the door...
Mr. Peanut? Okay, maybe you’re some distant cousin to Mister Donut, but I’m sorry, between your goofy-ass monocle and your frightening peanut body you creep me right out of my skin! Go back in your peanut jar and we’ll see you later...but probably not, you peanut freak!
Okay, this is more like it! It’s MBIP pal, Contributing Writer and the official MBIP Wheelman, Scott Turley! Time to hit the road to Mister Donutville!
And we’re off! This is going to be the longest road trip we’ve ever taken, Godfrey, Illinois is close to St. Louis and over two hours away. But it’s worth it to see the last surviving Mister Donut in America!
On the trip Scott and I tried to remember all the Mister Donut’s in Peoria and I found this ad that listed four locations. I remember the one on University the best because it was right across from Bowl-Mor where I used to hang out at in my high school years. And the emphasis on that last sentence would be “high.” I ate a lot of donuts at that Mister Donut on University stoned out of my ever-loving gourd! Just one of the reasons why Mister Donut is a precious memory to me.
Through the magic of the interwebs you’re spared a two and a half hour trip and here we are at the Mister Donut in Godfrey, Illinois! The first thing we saw was this glowing sign blazing in the afternoon sky with the original Mister Donut logo on it! The excitement officially begins now!
Here’s the outside of the last Mister Donut, I love the signage and their claim to having the “World’s Best Coffee!” Mister Donut is not known for his modesty! Let’s go in and take a look around.
Wow, it’s like taking a step back in time walking in here! They open up early in the morning and as you can see, most of the donuts are gone by the afternoon, but don’t worry, we’re going to enjoy a whole box of Mister Donut donuts, I called ahead and reserved a dozen for Scott and I! I love the “no cell phones” rule and wish more places would adhere to that!
And now it’s donut time! I told you I called ahead and that’s Caleb behind the counter with our box of Mister Donut donuts!
There’s orange U-shaped counters to sit at, but Scott and I decided to sit at one of the equally orange booths.
Now it’s the magical time to unbox the Mister Donut donuts! They look absolutely heavenly! There’s Scott enjoying one with his coffee.
I started off with a chocolate iced float and it was so delectable and tasty! I haven’t had a Mister Donut donut in over two decades and it was like biting into a sweet memory! After the float I chased it with a fresh glazed donut! They’re just as delicious as I remember and it was worth the long drive to sample these amazing donut treats!
This is a newspaper article about the last Mister Donut in America. This Mister Donut has been here since 1980 and Caeser Blanco is the current owner. He bought it in 2004 and I applaud him for keeping Mr. Donut alive and tasty here in the United States of America!
Here’s a shot from the back of the donut shop and some of the Mister Donut signage. I’m so happy this is now documented on MBIP!
Thanks to Caleb for the great service and for holding us a dozen Mister Donut donuts! And thanks, as always, to Scott for driving and hanging out with me for the day, it was a blast!
Oh and I have to mention this, this wasn’t originally my idea for a blog post. My friend and MBIP Contributing Writer, Chip Joyce discovered this place and told me he wanted to write a blog about it over a year ago. I thought that was a great idea so I did what any self-respecting journalist would do: I stole the idea from him and did it myself! But hey, we invited him but he couldn’t make the trip. As a consolation prize I have a Mister Donut t-shirt and coffee mug for you Chip, thanks for this wonderful idea! We'll see you all tomorrow!
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2720 Grovelin Street
Godfrey, Illinois
618-466-6327
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Related Posts: Spudnut Donuts and A Trip To Tanner’s Orchard.