Jasreet Barn will open a branch of Dapper Doughnut, a national chain specializing in mini-doughnuts. The location at 2330 Sunset Blvd. in Rocklin’s Stanford Plaza will be the first of numerous planned openings.
Dapper Doughnut
Jasreet Barn has always been interested in having her own business. She completed her MBA at Sacramento State with a concentration in entrepreneurship, but her enterprising roots run deeper.
“My dad has owned several businesses. He was self-employed my entire childhood. And so, just seeing that, it became my goal to do something for myself,” she said.
In the course of her studies, she researched multiple different franchises and business models, trying to see what worked best for her.
Barn will open a branch of Dapper Doughnut, a national chain specializing in mini-doughnuts, in Rocklin. The location at 2330 Sunset Blvd. in Rocklin’s Stanford Plaza will be the first of numerous planned openings.
Dapper Doughnuts appealed to her for a few reasons.
“It really stuck out to me as being a doughnut brand that really focuses on mini doughnuts, that’s their niche. And you know, we have Krispy Kreme, we have Dunkin’, and they’re great. But we’re kind of transitioning into an era with more health-aware customers. And so this seemed like a good blend of really changing that doughnut landscape,” she said.
Barn didn’t just take on the brand based on numbers. She had to kick the tires first.
“My sister loves baking, and so we actually went down to their location in Florida to make sure we try the product and we’re happy with everything, and we’re not just choosing a franchise just because it’s all pink and pretty and girly, right? And so we did that, and I fell in love with the product.”
Dapper’s mini-doughnuts come in the standard flavors such as powdered sugar, chocolate glaze and cinnamon sugar, but it also has more creative offerings like Fluffernutter and bananas Foster. All doughnuts are fried fresh to order, not made ahead.
“We’re able to rotate seasonal ones and add custom flavors depending on our local demographic,” she said.
Barn’s Rocklin location is under construction, and is expected open within the next couple of months. However, she has a plan for regional expansion right out of the gate. She’s already signed a lease for a second location at Elk Grove Commons.
In all, she plans to open 10 locations in places like Davis, Manteca, Folsom and El Dorado — and ultimately the Bay Area.
As part of the Dapper Doughnuts franchise agreement, each storefront also comes with a food trailer, for which the doughnut shop acts as a commissary kitchen. This may inform future expansion plans.
“Depending on what the real estate market is looking like, if we’re able to snag a great spot within the next couple of months, we’ll either go the storefront route, or we’ll be bringing a food trailer in addition to our second location,” Barn said.
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Sean Timberlake is the food and dining reporter for The Sacramento Bee. He has been writing professionally for nearly 30 years, and about food for 20. A variety of well-known outlets have published his work, including Food Network, Cooking Channel, CNN, Sunset Magazine and SF Weekly.