Not the Best Part of Town? Depends on Whether You Get a Donut.
You would think that working a block away from an award winning, family-owned bakery would be a good thing. But you would only think that because your job isn’t keeping 300 at-risk students from skipping school to pick up a donut.
Welcome to my 9 to 5.
Kids routinely sprint into class five minutes after the bell, toting Hinkley bag in hand, and begin distributing their bounty to friends–to only those they like, mind you, not everyone.
As you can imagine, passing out just three or four delicious homemade Hinkley’s donuts in a class of 20+ teenagers is not even a little bit distracting.
Sometimes you can see the planning in action. Money is passed around the room like a church collection plate, as kids make their investments in the day’s pastry takings. (Which is better than some of things money trades hands for around here.)
Some kids will even ask, “Is what we’re doing today important?” which translates to mean “I can’t imagine what you have planned is more important than getting a donut at Hinkley’s.” As if being able to cross a street and count out change for a donut is one of the objectives handed down from the state of Michigan.
When I say no (sorry, its policy), they resort to bribing. We’ll buy you a donut, Mrs.C. Two? Three? How many donuts would it take for you to let us go?
I have my standards though.
Come on, people.
It would take at least seven.
I read from the yahoo reviews that Hinkley’s is “not in the best area of town”–but my students would strongly disagree.
Its in the exact part of town where they’d prefer it to be
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What about you? Where is your bakery or donut hotspot? What do you order there? Click on the brown box beneath the title of this post (see pic) to tell 
us about your experience to automatically enter to win today’s giveaway:
Seven: Deadly Sins and the Beatitudes by Jeff Cook – The Beatitudes of Jesus stand in sharp contrast to what ancient believers identified as the Seven Deadly Sins. Both promise us life at its fullest but only one delivers. Follow along as Cook sets the Beatitudes one by one against the Sins.
**Contest runs until midnight tonight so get your entries in now.**
Yesterday’s winner- Shawn Kirsch
Saturday’s winners- David Lawrence and Terrace Crawford
Today’s winner- Lisa Colon Delay
Darcy White January 11, 2010 (7:45 am)
Growing up my parents would take us to a small town in North Dakota, New Rockford to visit my grandparents. They had the best bakery. People in this town would get up at 4, even if they were not farmers, to get their choice of donut. Everything was made with sunflower seeds. And maple frosting was always used.
The days of being drug to grandmas in North Dakota are long gone, as are my grandparents. The bakery, I heard, closed after many, many years of making the world most delicious donuts. But even 25-30 years later I can still smell this bakery like I just walked into it and the thought of one of their donuts, doesn’t matter which one, still makes my mouth water.
Lisa Colón DeLay January 11, 2010 (8:18 am)
Krispy Kreme- two bites of that warm/hot golden delight and you will cut off your arm for another.
Barbara Hamilton January 11, 2010 (9:13 am)
Krispy Kreme…chocolate covered custard filled…YUM! :)
leslie January 11, 2010 (9:25 am)
I like vegan donuts. Voodoo Donuts in Portland, OR is my favorite. They cover them with wild things like Oreos and Fruit Loops!!
Sarah Martin January 11, 2010 (9:32 am)
Don’t even get me started! I love plain donuts with the chocolate icing on top!
PS. retweeted too!
Melanie Michelson-Neumann January 11, 2010 (9:58 am)
As a kid, I loved the lemon filled powder donuts that my Grandma would buy from the local IGA. Now my tastes have become a bit more eccentric. It’s not a donut but a soft, homemade pretzel from Benny’s Bakery in Saline, Michigan that I’d choose. Benny’s has amazing donuts and cakes and pastries BUT they are known for their out of this freaking world pretzels. Seriously, try one…they’re like heaven. Only saltier. Yum.
Anna Lear January 11, 2010 (9:59 am)
Way back in the day my mom and I used to get one huge apple fritter from Dunkin Donuts and split it; sometimes we’d take pity on my dad and give him some, too. Today my absolute fave is the huge eclair from Flying Star (a small chain of coffee shops in Albuquerque): the pastry is perfect, the creme filling has a hint of vanilla and orange, and the dark chocolate icing is barely sweet… except I can’t eat them anymore because I’m gluten-intolerant. *Sob.*
Jenna January 11, 2010 (10:30 am)
buttermilk. period. the end.
Evan Farmer January 11, 2010 (10:34 am)
Custard-filled, chocolate coated long johns, from the very place your students go to skip class…they are by far, the best. I can definitely sympathize with those kids, although I’d just stop and get one before class, and be on time.
Becky January 11, 2010 (10:51 am)
Chocolate covered custard long-johns from hinkley;s and their glazed donut holes!!! They are the best!!
Keith Lee January 11, 2010 (12:05 pm)
Chocolate covered with custard filling – and I totally want to try one from Hinkley’s now that the two previous comments were in reference to them.
Chris Mathews January 11, 2010 (1:08 pm)
Now Krispy Kreme – glazed chocolate cake or glazed blueberry…as a kid – entermann’s crumb cake and devil’s food crumb donuts….ooohhhh! :)
Andy Merritt January 11, 2010 (3:32 pm)
Another vote for Hinkleys. They’ve ruined other doughnuts for me. Hinkley’s drop kicks Krispy Kreme and has a hand left over to punch Dunkin Doughnuts.
Eric Wilkinson January 11, 2010 (3:36 pm)
When I’m training for a marathon, I give up doughnuts. This means that I only eat doughnuts for 6-8 weeks per year. We used to swear by Donutville, but Zeeland Bakery has recently surpassed them.
Taima Marie January 11, 2010 (3:45 pm)
Uh, the only answer here is Meijer’s gas station after six when they’re like, half off. Then I go and buy a sackful! Or, on lazy Sunday mornings when my Parental Unit and I go to get out supplies for a day of watching cartoons, I buy two chocolate covered, or one of those long ones with that yellowish custard.
I want a doughnut.
Jill January 11, 2010 (4:09 pm)
Driver’s Bakery, although no longer in existence, had the best donuts around when I was growing up. But now I have to settle for Dunkin Donuts when we drive to Atlanta. Partial to the boston creme filled donuts…
Tricia Raney January 11, 2010 (4:12 pm)
I’m all about the chocolate cake (glazed) donut from Dunkin Donuts!! Ooh! So good I get one everytime I “go home”! However, while I’m here in Baton Rouge I’m all about beniets from Café Dumond!!
Lauren Egier January 11, 2010 (9:29 pm)
My favourite donut is a boston creme from Tim Hortons! mmm, they are so delicious! I have a rule that if I get 1, I have to get 1/2 dozen so that I get the box. I hate when they give you a paper bag and all of the chocolate comes off. haha, I’ve now convinced my mom to live by my rule.
Preston Parrish January 11, 2010 (11:51 pm)
You GOTTA love Krispy Kreme! I usually order a glazed, vanilla creme-filled doughnut! It’s heavenly and usually comes with a police escort! :D