Iconic Dutch Girl Donuts on Woodward Avenue in Detroit now fully reopened

Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press
Updated ·2 min read

The wait is over. Airy, light, yeasty doughnuts are front and center again on Woodward Avenue in Detroit, as Dutch Girl Donuts, the long-standing doughnut shop at 19000 Woodward Ave., has officially reopened. Initially, Dutch Girl is expected to offer eight varieties of doughnuts, including its classic glazed.

Shuttered more than two years ago, the iconic family-owned doughnut shop with the blue signage was sold last year to well-known Detroiter Paddy Lynch.

After months of speculation, Lynch announced in November 2023 that he bought the business and building from the Timmer family. Terms of the sale were not disclosed. Earlier this year, Lynch began renovations.

LaTisha Shaw, 48, of Detroit, transfers doughnuts coated in glaze to a tray at Dutch Girl Donuts in Detroit on Friday, May 3, 2024.
LaTisha Shaw, 48, of Detroit, transfers doughnuts coated in glaze to a tray at Dutch Girl Donuts in Detroit on Friday, May 3, 2024.

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Lynch, who lives nearby in Detroit’s Arden Park, is a third-generation funeral director with Lynch and Sons, operating several metro Detroit funeral homes, and is the owner of Detroit’s historic bathhouse, The Schvitz.

“For me, it's a beautiful thing to see something that's been loved for decades come back to life,” Lynch said a week ago during a soft opening as customers dropped in. “I don't think there's one person in the city of Detroit that didn't want to see Dutch Girl back up and running.”

Dutch Girl Donuts closed in early September 2021 and owner Gene Timmer died a few weeks later.The shop with the can't-miss blue awning and signs on Woodward has been around for more than 70 years. Lynch is carrying on Dutch Girl Donuts. Jon Timmer, son of the late owners, is also back at Dutch Girl, making the doughnuts and other confections.

While customers can expect the same tasty doughnuts, Lynch also teamed up with Becharas Brothers Coffee Co., a more than 100-year-old well-known company. The Highland Park coffee roasters worked with Lynch, creating a Dutch Girl Donuts blend that's offered freshly roasted and sold in packages at the store.Dutch Girl Donuts will now have Sunday hours and be closed Mondays. Hours are 6 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

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Paddy Lynch, owner of Dutch Girl Donuts in Detroit, eats a doughnut in front of the popular doughnut shop during the store’s soft opening on Friday, May 3, 2024.
Paddy Lynch, owner of Dutch Girl Donuts in Detroit, eats a doughnut in front of the popular doughnut shop during the store’s soft opening on Friday, May 3, 2024.

Contact Detroit Free Press food and restaurant writer Susan Selasky and send food and restaurant news and tips to: sselasky@freepress.com. Follow @SusanMariecooks on Twitter. Subscribe to the Free Press.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Dutch Girl Donuts on Woodward Avenue in Detroit now fully reopened