New to SLU: Doce Donut Co

Before the pandemic, Amazonian Claudia Monroy and her family were searching for a spot in South Lake Union to open a new business — a donut bakery infused with Latin American flavors. Monroy wanted to capture the American corporate office obsession with sweet morning treats that pop up in break rooms. But the timing, as with many ventures during the pandemic, was not quite right. Instead, together with her husband Damian Castillo and his parents Daniel and Silvia, the family opened Doce Donut Co in Fremont in spring 2023. But the saga of popular Doce has now come full circle — the family is set for their grand opening of its second location at the former G.H. Pasta location (2305 Sixth Avenue) on April 13 at 9am.

The new space offers the same flavors as its sister shop in Fremont, which is pickup only and is where most of Doce’s production happens.  The big difference? SLU is a bigger draw for the corporate audience, and you can sit and enjoy your donuts and coffee.

All the donuts at Doce (Spanish for 12) are made with scratch ingredients and their special 24-hour raised brioche dough. Think flavors like passionfruit crème brûlée, guava con queso, and the uber popular tres leches, which is perfectly balanced and not overly sweet. There’s a vegan option, too. Monroy said her team had tons of requests for vegan donuts. After two months of rigorous testing, Doce introduced the OG, their vegan donut dipped in a coconut and vanilla glaze.

Doce Donut Co is open Wednesday to Sunday, 8am to 1pm, or until the donuts are gone.