New Doughnut Shop Opens In Bay View
Happy Dough Lucky offers loaded and classic miniature doughnuts, plus vibrant decor and arcade games.
Site of Happy Dough Lucky, 2691 S. Kinnickinnic Ave. Photo taken Dec. 20, 2023 by Jeramey Jannene.
The long-awaited Bay View location for Happy Dough Lucky is officially open. A steady stream of early-risers — most with young children in tow — were among the first to visit the new doughnut shop Thursday morning, situating themselves on stools at the counter or lounging in plastic booths to wait on their orders of candy-topped, cereal-coated or caramel-drizzled treats.
Happy Dough Lucky, 2691 S. Kinnickinnic Ave., specializes in miniature doughnuts that are big on flavor. The shop’s rotating menu features “loaded” doughnuts such as s’mores, cookie monster and birthday cake, to name a few, along with classic options like powdered sugar and cinnamon-sugar.
Doughnuts are made in small batches each morning and displayed in a pastry case. As flavors begin to dwindle throughout the day, new doughnuts are made fresh to order.
To start, the shop is sticking with doughnuts and coffee, but the menu may eventually expand to include ice cream and pizza.
If the menu sounds colorful, it’s nothing compared to the shop’s interior. Walking into the storefront is akin to tumbling into a new world in which the walls are covered in Legos, giant whisks dangle from the ceiling and retro arcade games beckon at every turn. The space is nostalgic for adults, exciting for kids, and provides a colorful respite for everyone eager to escape the dreary outdoors.
The Willy Wonka-esque creator behind the concept is Andrew Swofford, who launched Happy Dough Lucky as a pop-up bakery more than a decade ago. The veteran baker started off vending seasonally at the South Shore Farmers Market and catering for a wide range of events, later expanding to a vendor stall inside Mequon Public Market.
After closing the Mequon location in September, Swofford pivoted to focusing full-time on opening the Bay View shop, installing decor and building out the space that formerly housed HuếAsian Kitchen. The Vietnamese restaurant relocated down the block.
Meanwhile, Swofford spent most weekends last fall selling doughnuts out of the Happy Dough Lucky food truck, stationed on S. Kinnickinnic Avenue, just outside the doughnut shop.
The recent pop-ups, along with the shop’s buzz-worthy interior decor and Swofford’s Instagrammable doughnut creations, primed Happy Dough Lucky for a warm welcome to the neighborhood.
The shop will operate with limited hours for the remainder of December, opening at 7 a.m. Thursday through Sunday. Closing time will be dependent on doughnut availability.
For more information and updates on future hours of operation, follow Happy Dough Lucky on Facebook or Instagram.
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