A chain that sells ‘layered doughnuts’ is coming to Wichita. The first store will be west.

A new doughnut shop headed for Wichita specializes in “layered doughnuts” — a doughnut-meets-croissant creation more commonly known by the trademarked word “cronut.”

Three partners say they are joining up to bring the Indiana-based chain Parlor Doughnuts to Wichita. Though they’re still finalizing the location, the partners say that the first one will open on Wichita’s west side. The chain, which has more than 50 locations across the country and more on the way, offers more than two dozen flavors of layered doughnuts as well as coffee drinks and breakfast items such as acai bowls, avocado toast, breakfast tacos and breakfast sandwiches.

But the doughnuts are the draw, the franchisees said. In fact, when the original Parlor opened in 2019, it was a coffee shop that sold doughnuts. But the doughnuts were so popular that they soon became the focus of the business.

They feature a flaky exterior, a soft interior and lots of different toppings and are available in flavors such as french toast, maple bacon, cookies n’ cream, peanut butter cup, churro and raspberry pistachio. The shop always has at least a dozen standard flavors in stock then switches out seasonal offerings.

It also offers keto- and gluten-friendly doughnuts as well as doughnuts made specifically for dogs.

The partners bringing the shop to Wichita are Craig Young of Fort Lauderdale, Florida; Jesus Diaz of Kansas City; and Byron Smith, a local real estate/equity investor in Wichita.

Young and Diaz are longtime friends, and Diaz was also a friend of Smith’s. Young said he was in Milwaukee at an event that Parlour Doughnuts had catered and loved it. He went back to Florida and looked into the chain.

“I was just very excited about that brand and what it has to offer as far as the corporate end and the support they give you on the franchise side,” he said. “But also the product itself, with the consistency and the way they like to stay innovative and fun, where a lot of things aren’t really like that that I’ve seen.”

He reached out to Diaz, and the two decided that the growing Wichita area would be a good market for the chain. Diaz, who said that having local ownership was important to the partners, brought Smith — who specializes in housing for homeless veterans — into the project.

“I think Wichita is exploding right now,” Diaz said. “...This seemed like a no-brainer. Wichita is a great community and Parlor is a great brand.”

The franchisees say that they hope to bring more than one Parlor Doughnut store to Wichita. The first one should open this year, they say, and they think the Wichita area could support up to three locations.

The trio is close to settling on the first address, they said, and they hope it will also have a drive-through. The property they choose will dictate whether that’s possible.

One thing they liked about Parlor, they said, was that it felt like the kind of place that brought communities together. Diaz said he noticed this when he visited a Parlor Doughnuts in Florida.

“Ever since COVID, most places are call-in or drive through, but no one’s inside,” Diaz said. “Parlor was a place that felt like part of the community. It felt like somewhere special. The food was amazing, and I hadn’t been to a place where so many people were hanging out.”

Lawrence also has been earmarked to get a new Parlor Doughnuts shop, according to the chain’s website. But the Wichita franchisees are not behind that one.

I’ll let you know when the partners settle on an address.

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