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Franchisee Chris Holtmeyer is leasing space in Nixa's Main Street Plaza.
The Dapper Doughnut
Franchisee Chris Holtmeyer is leasing space in Nixa's Main Street Plaza.

The Dapper Doughnut franchise lands in Nixa

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A Las Vegas-based franchise that focuses on miniature, made-to-order doughnuts is set to open this week in Nixa.

Chris Holtmeyer, franchisee of The Dapper Doughnut, said his 1,200-square-foot shop at 107 W. Aldersgate Drive, Ste. 11, in Main Street Plaza, should be ready for business July 4.

The mini doughnuts are sold in boxed sizes of six, 12, 24 and 48, with prices starting at $4 a box, he said. The doughnut-making process takes place in front of customers’ eyes, with options selected for toppings and dipping sauces. A total of 18 flavors, including cinnamon sugar and blueberry lemon, will be on the menu initially. The Dapper Doughnut also sells coffees, espressos and milkshakes.

“We have doughnut decorators there, and you get them hot and made to order. I would consider them bite-sized, but other people may not,” said Holtmeyer, a first-time business owner.

Holtmeyer also works for Prime Inc. as manager of fleet maintenance. He’s hired Tyler Rasmussen, a former colleague at Prime, as general manager of the doughnut shop.

Holtmeyer said he was considering franchise opportunities with Hurts Donut Co. back in 2017 but changed course upon hearing about The Dapper Doughnut. It was founded in 2015.

It took a while to bring the franchise to market, in part because of his full-time job, which he will maintain. The partial federal government shutdown in December 2018 further delayed Holtmeyer’s plans, as the U.S. Small Business Administration closure left his loan in limbo. He said his loan application was delayed 42 days before approval. His total startup costs, including a $35,000 franchise fee, are roughly $250,000.

“We powered through it, and now we’re at the end of the wait,” he said.

Holtmeyer signed a five-year lease with Nixa Plaza LLC for an undisclosed rate.  

While the brick-and-mortar shop is not quite yet operational, The Dapper Doughnut has already been out and about in the community. The doughnuts were first served at Nixa Sucker Days in May, as well as June’s Sertoma Duck Race Festival in Ozark. Private parties and bridal shows have also featured the doughnuts, as Holtmeyer said the product is being marketed for weddings, corporate events and other special occasions.

“We’re targeting a niche group,” he said of the crowded market with competitors Hurts Donut, Krispy Kreme, Dunkin’ and St. George’s Donuts.

The Nixa shop is the first for The Dapper Doughnut in southwest Missouri, Holtmeyer said. The nearest locations are near St. Louis in Creve Coeur and in Kansas City, Kansas, according to the company website. He currently has no plans for additional shops, but Holtmeyer said he owns the franchise rights in Nixa, Ozark and Springfield.

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