Chicago's award-winning Downstate Donuts, known for its signature line of authentic potato donuts, has launched a Kickstarter campaign to open its first retail shop in Chicago's Andersonville neighborhood.
Since founder Virgil Roundtree started the company in 2019, Downstate has operated out of shared kitchen space and serviced customers across Chicago through its donut trikes, farmers markets and many independent cafe partners.
However, production was halted over the summer following a fire in the shared kitchen. Through the Kickstarter campaign, Roundtree has set an initial goal to lease a solo production kitchen and ultimately open his first brick-and-mortar location in Andersonville.
Downstate's Kickstarter campaign offers 10 pledge levels with various perks, including a private donut-making class, the donor's name carved on a Downstate trike, an invitation to the retail store's soft opening, a year of Donut Tots shipped to the donor's door, Downstate swag and more.
The campaign is at www.kickstarter.com/projects/donutstohelpfarmers/downstate-donuts-mouthwatering-potato-donut-tots .
