Located at 835 E Algonquin Rd, Schaumburg, IL 60173, The Donut Drop is the go-to place for all your donut and coffee needs. Charlie and Lilian, owners of the year-in-a-half old hole in the wall, had a choice: Do we get married or open a donut shop?
The decision pervaded them and after much deliberating between the couple, a donut shop opened in Schaumburg in January 2015.
Donuts and Entrepreneurship > School
Charlie and Lilian met in college and have been together ever since. After pursuing careers in their respective degrees, they decided to leave that all behind in pursuit of something bigger: To be your own boss. Such a grueling effort would need to be placed for this to work so Charlie and Lilian worked under his uncle at Gurnee Donuts to learn the secrets of the trade and boast the best donuts in the state. Using similar recipes but grasping newer techniques, The Donut Drop is always willing to try something new with their products.
Self-coined the “hidden secret shop”, the location has its positives and negatives: “It’s good and bad because there are a lot of things that we need to go through and work with just to get ourselves out there,” says Lilian. “Most of our business is word-of-mouth. We depend on quality.” And how that rings true every time you order a fresh donut made the same day you walk in the door.
Guests that come in relay that message right back to the owners every day: “The biggest win is getting all the compliments!” recalls Charlie. “You don’t go into this business for the money. 99% of the people who come in love our donuts and there’s almost no complaints. We tell each other stories because we’re not always selling at the same time and we will hear about someone who just raved about our donuts.”
Freshness is Important
Only sold fresh daily, there’s no surprise why people have no qualms about the quality. Their business motto, “Donuts that Deliver” proves this truth by explaining how they will not only deliver at least 2 dozen donuts to your door unlike most of their competitors, but the donut’s taste delivers as well. You know that everything you order was made that morning and will leave you coming back for more or at the very least, calling them for more because you not only can ask for delivery, but you can reserve a specific donut for pick-up.
“It’s a first come first serve basis,” says Lilian. “If you call in and ask for a donut, we will keep it saved for you. We have people coming in from Wisconsin who call and make sure we have the donuts that they want since they’re coming from a far distance. Some people drive from afar and we appreciate their business.”
And everyone appreciates their hospitality. With call-in reservations, delivery, and daily-made donuts, it doesn’t seem like it could better, right? Wrong. They even offer air pot rentals for coffee. Charlie shared: “Those little ‘Box o’ Joe’s’ don’t last long. They are very expensive to purchase and get thrown out at the end of the day. You save money and the environment! With our air pot rental, you can either drop it off or we can pick it up for a fee but otherwise, there is really no cost. The businesses have told us that their coffee is still hot at the end of a long day.”
The Future of the Drop
With so many unique opportunities for its customers and delicious, creative flavors that The Donut Drop continues to aspire to create, the road ahead is looking bright. But the couple does not plan on coasting down that metaphoric road. With huge ambitions to someday include a drive-thru with a TV monitor that allows the customer to see the live display of what is left, to include a mobile truck or cart that can be in the city, and to eventually expand, there is still plenty to do for the donut hole in the wall.
The Donut Drop clearly cares so deeply about their customers and has had them in mind for ideas already implemented and beyond: “The whole point of the display of our donuts is that it is in front of you instead of behind us so you can see each and every one of them. It’s kind of like a candy store. Each donut is their own shape and size and if someone wants something a little bit larger, absolutely! That’s yours!”
A year and a half later, it seems that the couple definitely made the right decision when they poised that question about marriage or a donut shop several years ago. But that’s not the end of their story. In October 2017, the donut lovers plan on putting on their donut rings and tying the knot.
Be sure to check out The Donut Drop online HERE