When Laura Crawford got married, she and her husband traveled a lot, they were looking for deals with gluten-free donuts that she could eat with celiac disease.
But the Knoxvillians might not have to be far away for gluten-free treats on Nov. 5, when Crawford opens The Donut Theory’s first indoor dining room in Knoxville, Marble City Market.
“We propose the action of making quality gluten-free donuts based on our set of principles that all foods will have to be good, adding gluten-free,” he told Knox News.
But The Donut Theory would possibly not only offer treats, but the menu includes gluten-free fried poultry and gluten-free macaroni and cheese.
Crawford has a degree in cooking and made the decision to make “lemonade from lemons” by launching The Donut Theory in the early stages of the pandemic.
“It literally exploded so fast that I thought, ‘I don’t know what to do,'” he said.
She prepares donuts until 3 a. M. To deliver orders to consumers at parks and other pickup locations in the city. With the vision of an “old-fashioned business” and the help of a Kickstarter campaign, he took The Donut Theory to the next point in April by promoting his products from a pink, half-ton Ford pickup from 1947.
The company grew with its circle of relatives “literally on my hip,” he said. Her daughter was just five weeks old when The Donut Theory pledged to sign up for another dining room planned for the former Kern’s Bakery site in South Knoxville.
Maybe it’s the family-driven business style that attracts unwavering customers, he said, or it’s his project to serve Knoxville’s gluten-free population.
“Of course, my circle of relatives wants to eat and wants to be fed,” he said. “But at the end of the day, if you don’t have a project and you don’t have values, I don’t see the point. “of running a business, personally. “
The Scruffy Stuff: What about the restaurants and bars missing in downtown Knoxville?
Crawford in the past owned a bakery in Rwanda, with a project to provide work for citizens with physical disabilities, teaching them how to cook for a sustainable source of income.
THE LATEST NEWS AT YOUR FINGERTIPS Get the latest news, sports scores and more right on your phone. Download the loose Knox News mobile app.
Other gluten-free people have a limited selection on the menus of places to eat, Crawford said, but at The Donut Theory, everything is gluten-free.
“Even if only one user in an organization suffers from celiac disease,” he said, “I need it to be so smart that the total circle of relatives can stay in this place. “
The Donut Theory will offer a variety of antique donuts for $3. 25, as well as specialty flavors for $0. 25 more. Flavors will be replaced regularly, though Crawford plans to start with the following options:
Classic
Specialty
Donuts will also be taken by the dozens or as a base in The Donut Theory desserts, which come with a birthday ice cream with vanilla ice cream, chocolate sauce and a cherry on top.
Crawford will also offer an outdated strawberry cake, topped with strawberry sauce and topped with ice cream, as well as the rocky path “Grandpa’s Favorite” with marshmallows and almonds.
Crawford said The Donut Theory will be the food corridor’s salesman starting with breakfast, which will come with a Wo(ah) nut embossed with honey butter and maple syrup, as well as a doughnut sandwich stuffed with meats for breakfast and Gouda.
At lunchtime, the company will avoid making special donuts and will only offer obsolete donuts and desserts to match poultry meals.
Guests can order a bird meal in two or 3 pieces, such as bird fillets.
“And we’re going to laugh with some sauces to make other people laugh,” he said.
The breading will fall off, he said, and “the bird is juicy. “
Each bird basket comes with an expired donut, and visitors can make their meal a combination by opting for a drink and two side dishes. In addition to macaroni and cheese, The Donut Theory will also offer corn on the cob and jalapeño colesa salad.
Crawford is rarely a big fan of the term “gluten-free,” she understands why providing gluten-free foods doesn’t make sense for some concepts.
“It’s hard to get around the city and your friends can eat everything and they can’t get what you want,” he said. “There are a lot of other people in Knoxville who literally want gluten-free products. “
Instead of regular flour, The Donut Theory has its own gluten-free blend.
“Everything is absolutely from scratch. It’s about 10 ingredients, to give or take, and there’s a three-step procedure for mixing them. And then rolling them up is a very, very sensitive procedure. “
Each doughnut has exactly 92 grams of raw dough, even if they don’t look identical.
“That’s the good look of donuts; they fry the way they want,” he said. “Donuts look a bit like people. No two are alike.
In the future, Crawford’s short-term purpose is for other people to “feel loved” when they are in their position. She is open to taking the concept to other cities, but only if she has a hobby for the other people who live there.
“I care much less and much more about hearts,” he said.
The van will continue to operate for special events, weddings.
“I think it’s going to be really fun to offer things that other people wouldn’t have otherwise,” he said of his marble city market business. “Basically, the percentage of business is. It’s a very network configuration.
Crawford’s husband, Daniel, will be the head chef for The Donut Theory and is one of two salaried employees. It has 4 part-time employees and is for two more.
Marble City Market is at 333 W. Depot Ave. and is expected to open Nov. 5. The dining room will feature 11 food vendors, a full-service bar, and Topgolf Swing Suites.
Meals include burgers from Smash Knoxville, cookies from Myrtle’s Bakehouse and po boys from Po’Richard’s.
A dining room with separate assets is expected to open next year at the former Kern’s Bakery location in South Knoxville.