Cape bakery offers plenty of sweet treats

Who can resist a pleasant pastry? Whether it is a glazed or cake doughnut, cinnamon roll, cream-filled long john or a dough boy, customers at Houch's Doughnuts are likely to find a dough creation to their liking.

Lance and Starla Miller have owned Houch's Donuts for five years. Lance, who has a degree in business management, decided to buy and manage the bakery.

One of the bakery's strong selling points is the freshness of all its items. The shop refuses to sell day-old items.

"Everything is homemade," said Anita Hunter, one of the shop's bakers.

Working in bakery is not for late risers. The work at Houch's begins at midnight, when the fryer and baker arrive. At 3 a.m. two more workers come in for the next part of the process. By the time the bakery opens at 5 a.m., the pastries are baked, the display window is arranged and the clerks are in their places.

Many of the customers stop by on their way to work or school. For others, having a doughnut and coffee has become a sort of treat at the end of the work week.

"We reward ourselves with a weekend visit here," Van Riehl said. He said he enjoys the great coffee and always-fresh doughnuts.

The doughnut shop is also popular with younger crowd.

"My favorite doughnut is the chocolate long john," said 5-year-old Camden Conner.

Houch's Doughnuts delivers to many area convenience stores including Rhodes 101 stations in Scott City and Chaffee, Mo., KKS in Kelso, Mo., and Express Fuel in Benton, Mo.

The shop distributes to the Jackson Wal-Mart once a month, and local businesses receive shipments as well.

The doughnut shop offers a few items unique to their shop like the sausage roll, a spicy polish sausage, wrapped in dough and deep fried. They recently added biscuits and gravy to the menu.

Houch's Doughnuts is at 1001 N. Kingshighway in Cape Girardeau. Its operating hours are 5 a.m. to noon Tuesday to Sunday.

Special items:

Sauce Roll: spicy polish sausage (cheese or plain) wrapped in dough and deep fried.

Biscuits and Gravy: biscuits baked fresh daily served with milk gravy.

Dough Boys: decorated doughnut men, popular with the children.