ContestsEvents

LISTEN LIVE

Favorite Michigan Doughnut Shop Closing After 43 Years

The past few years have brought many local restaurant closings due to the pandemic, which has definitely been heartbreaking. But, sometimes a local eatery just has to call it a…

donut

(Photo Illustration by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

The past few years have brought many local restaurant closings due to the pandemic, which has definitely been heartbreaking. But, sometimes a local eatery just has to call it a day because it's simply time, regardless if there's any worldwide pandemic happenings.

Of course, that doesn't make it any less heartbreaking, but they say that all good things must come to an end. Now, a popular Michigan family-owned doughnut shop is calling it quits after a whopping 43 years in business.

The shop that's closing is The Donut Hole off of Van Dyke Avenue in Warren. The shop announced Friday (May 6) that the owners are officially retiring this weekend. The Donut Hole is known for its delicious, homemade donuts and other treats. The shop's claim-to-fame was its famous, 12-inch Birthday Donut Cake.

The owners write on the shop’s Facebook page about how grateful they are for their many years in the local Warren community. “We’ve met so many wonderful people, made friends who become like family and were blessed to watch some of their kids (and even grandkids!) grow up,” the store posted on Facebook. They added that Saturday (May 7) would be their last day, so they didn't give much time for goodbyes. “We will miss you and hope to see some of you tomorrow!” they stated on Facebook the day before. As of writing this article, the farewell Facebook post had nearly 70 shares and 60 comments, so it's obvious the community is going to miss the shop. It's definitely sad to see the shop go, but it's always incredible to know it was such a major part of the community for more than four decades. No word yet on what will become of the shop's storefront 32187 Van Dyke Avenue in Warren. We wish the retiring owners plenty of years or rest and relaxation.

Summer is on the way, and that means it's about to be road trip season. I always enjoy driving around during the spring and summer months, discovering new towns around Michigan. Fall is a great time to road trip, too, because of the gorgeous colors. This state has so many beautiful small towns, which make for perfect stops during a long road trip.

So, how small are Michigan's tiniest dwellings? I actually looked up some data from the state of Michigan and discovered that many towns in Michigan have just a few hundred people. That's almost hard to imagine. Some examples are Addison at 597, Akron at 394 and Alba at 295. Now, that's really, really small.

When it comes to Michigan's quaint cities, I always enjoy South Haven. My uncle lives around that area, and I used to go there at lot as a kid. The beach town is right on the eastern shores of Lake Michigan, in the southwest part of the state. Its population is just over 4,000 residents, but it seems way bigger during the summer months, as it's a very popular tourist destination. Just thinking about South Haven's warm, sandy beaches is making me smile. If you head there, don't forget to check out South Haven's trademark red lighthouse.

Of course, South Haven is just the beginning when it comes to great places to visit. Read on for 40 small towns in Michigan that you need to visit this summer for a weekend getaway. You'll also find information on each town below with a link to that town's official website, so you can find more details about the best time to visit and how to get there.

Munising

Marquette

Traverse City - Not super small, but a great spot to visit!

Holland

Sault Ste. Marie

Alpena

Tawas City

St. Joseph

Harbor Springs

Escanaba

Frankenmuth

Mackinac Island

Northville

Ontonagon

Charlevoix

Paradise

Copper Harbor

Saugatuck

Petoskey

South Haven

Ludington

Pentwater

http://www.pentwater.org/

Techumseh

Colon

http://www.colonmichigan.org/

Boyne City

http://www.cityofboynecity.com/

Caseville

Port Austin

East Tawas

St. Ignace

Suttons Bay

Newberry

Marshall

http://www.cityofmarshall.com/

Harrisville

Frankfort

Elberta

Elk Rapids

Au Gres

Rose City

Gaylord

Menominee

Things we love about Michigan in the summer:

Anne Erickson started her radio career shortly after graduating from Michigan State University and has worked on-air in Detroit, Flint, Toledo, Lansing and beyond. As someone who absolutely loves rock, metal and alt music, she instantly fell in love with radio and hasn’t looked back. When she’s not working, Anne makes her own music with her band, Upon Wings, and she also loves cheering on her favorite Detroit and Michigan sports teams, especially Lions and MSU football. Anne is also an award-winning journalist, and her byline has run in a variety of national publications. You can also hear her weekends on WRIF.