Nixa doughnut shop closes

After a nearly seven-month run, The Dapper Doughnut closed up shop yesterday in Nixa.

Chris Holtmeyer opened a franchise of the Las Vegas-based company in July 2019 at 107 W. Aldersgate Drive, Ste. 11. He cited slow business, high overhead and a tough market as the reasons behind the closure.

“It almost seems like everyone in Nixa works in Springfield, so it’s a ghost town during the day,” Holtmeyer said this morning, adding people often set fitness goals in the new year. “When you think about what everybody does in January, all of those sweet treats go out the window. We took drastic drops in January and the end of December.”

To open The Dapper Doughnut, Holtmeyer invested roughly $250,000, including a $35,000 franchise fee, according to past reporting. The 1,200-square-foot doughnut shop was the only franchise location in southwest Missouri and the second in the state. The eatery sold mini-doughnuts in boxes of six, 12, 24 and 48, starting at $4 a box.

Holtmeyer said for some small businesses, the revenue would have been sufficient, but staffing costs of $75 an hour consumed the profits.

Holtmeyer had purchased the franchise rights for Ozark and Springfield, as well, though he has no plans to open another shop. He said he opened in the Nixa market because he resides in the city and it had less competition. He cited Springfield’s Hurts Donut Co. and Krispy Kreme.

“We thought it wouldn’t be smart to compete with them,” he said.

Holtmeyer, who continues to work full time at Prime Inc., said he was thankful for his customers.

“It’s been an awesome adventure but a long road with many curves along the way,” he wrote on the business’ Facebook page yesterday. “Remember to shop small, shop local and support the hard-working small-business owners in your community. Without your support, small businesses can’t survive.”