Go up to the counter to put in an order, and be sure to speak up when you say: “Can I have two Sunburnt Haoles and three Unicorn Butt Sneezes?”
Nick Cornford, co-owner of the new Purve Donut Stop, said he enjoys watching the embarrassment flicker across customers’s faces when they order — playfulness is the keynote of the brand. Actually, the owners are aiming for a bit of “shock ’n’ awe,” he said, even if they’re just making doughnuts.
“Purve” is a word that he and partner Brion Zablan made up, a play on the word “purvey” (which is how they pronounce it), because their intention is to purvey or create a feel-good vibe with everything from novelty flavor combinations to the whimsical, childlike art on the walls. The bottom line is “you end up leaving with a smile on your face,” Cornford said.
They opened in late May at the spiffed-up Iolani Center, a longtime alohawear manufacturer, on Kona Street across from Ala Moana Center, with a marketing strategy that relied on social media and Yelp reviews to spread the word.
A wall set up for Instagram posts is painted with a fantasy umbrella, which you’re supposed to make believe you’re holding as doughnuts rain from the sky.
The plan seems to have worked, as Purve is making 500 to 1,000 doughnuts a day behind a see-through partition so everyone can watch.
Nancy Bonilla brought her daughter Bethany, 14, after she saw the shop’s Instagram posts. They chose the Unicorn Butt Sneeze (lemon glaze topped with Fruity Pebbles cereal), an Aloha Mac (chocolate glaze with mac nuts and caramel drizzle) and a Rug Matcha (matcha glaze with KitKat bars).
Three co-workers at the nearby Partners for Quality Health also came in at the behest of social media and ordered a box full of different doughnuts, reading the menu carefully and giggling. Pamela Ly was the only one brave enough to pose at the Instagram wall and hold onto the fake umbrella, while Sheila Portela and Brenda Dumot saved the image for posterity.
Deciding which doughnuts to try is half the fun; the silly labels are ripe for inside jokes or innuendo that reveal what’s in the eye of the beholder, said Cornford with a raised eyebrow.
“Everyone’s interpretation is purveying yourself.”
A few names reflect movie references — It’s OK … Cuz It’s Your Dog, from the 2000 teen sex comedy “Road Trip” (peanut butter glaze with a jelly drizzle) and You’re Killing Me Smalls from 1993’s “Sandlot” (chocolate glaze with a graham cracker and cream cheese drizzle).
The Sunburnt Haole is glazed with lemon and sprinkled with li hing mui powder. All varieties start with a vanilla cake doughnut; only the toppings vary.
The names Cornford and Zablan invented reflect the irreverent repartee they developed while working as bartenders at an upscale hotel. Bar patrons seemed to enjoy their wisecracking and the showmanship of their quick, splashy moves while mixing drinks and adding garnishes, said Cornford, who hasn’t yet quit his night job. Making and decorating doughnuts in full view of customers reminds him of being behind the bar.
Though opening a doughnut shop seems an unlikely choice for the pair, who had no baking experience, they got tired of going home at 6 in the morning after 10 to 15 years, especially Zablan, who has kids. They had originally wanted to open a coffee shop, but thought they wouldn’t survive the competition. Making doughnuts was seen as a gimmick to attract customers; they plan to widen their coffee selections later.
Specialty doughnuts are a niche market on the mainland that Cornford felt was lacking in Hawaii, “I didn’t feel anyone was doing a proper cake doughnut.”
They went through a lot of trial and error to produce a doughnut that stays moist, light and fluffy even after a day — and is also crisp on the outside and not greasy. They wanted to be sure their recipe could be reproduced consistently, which meant finding the right kind of oil and standardizing things as basic as water and air temperature for each batch.
“We’re very proud of that,” he added.
They also worked to make sure their flavorings stand out and are not absorbed or overwhelmed by the batter. Local flavors include yuzu, li hing mui and matcha (green tea) glazes. They’re even playing around with a Spam-maple version — “it’s endless, the possible flavors and combinations.”
They never want their customers to get bored, so there will be daily and weekly specials, and they are open to out-of-the-box flavor suggestions, Cornford said.
