New owner of Donut Haus says he’s ready to battle chains

The new owner of the Donut Haus in Springboro says he'll keep the shop's name and is confident he can compete effectively against the influx of chain doughnut shops throughout the region.

Ryan Tripp — who operates Bear Creek Donuts in Miamisburg with his wife and family and who started working at Donut Haus when he was 14 — also told this news outlet that he has his eye on further expansion in the not-so-distant future.

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Ryan and Danielle Tripp are in the process of buying the Donut Haus at 305 W. Central Ave. in Springboro from Mike Hemmert, who operated the shop for 32 years. The transaction is expected to be complete in mid-January.

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Here’s what Tripp told this news outlet about his plans for the Donut Haus and about the increasingly competitive local doughnut market, which is seeing an influx of new stores from Dunkin’ Donuts, Tim Hortons and Duck Donuts, among others:

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“After opening Bear Creek in 2016 it was immediately clear that we were going to need to expand our operating space to keep up with how quickly the business was growing. By January 2017 I had begun to make large equipment purchases when I ran some questions by Mike (Hemmert).”

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“We immediately liked the idea of me taking over the Donut Haus. This would resolve both the space and production concerns we had been facing in Miamisburg. My wife, parents, and employees have put together a solid business with Bear Creek in Miamisburg, and we have every intention of growing the business for years to come.”

“We will retain the Donut Haus name in Springboro and plan to only build upon what Mike has done all of these years.”

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“As for the influx of the chain doughnut shops coming to our region, I am not worried. I see baking as an art, one that takes years to cultivate your own style. An employer can train anyone to produce a doughnut out of a robot, or thaw a manufactured one. In my eyes, the consumer seeks authenticity, and that’s what you find at your hometown shops like Bill’s, Jim’s, Donut Haus, Milton’s, etc. They stand the test of time.”

“I don’t want to say it is in the immediate future, but we could very well see more expansion sooner than later.”

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Hemmert said last week that Tripp was “the perfect candidate” to take over the Springboro doughnut shop. “With Ryan, I have no concerns that the Donut Haus will be around long after I am gone,” Hemmert said.

Tripp is a 2010 Springboro High School graduate; he holds a degree in Neuroscience and Behavioral Physiology from Wright State University.

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