New owner keeps family donut shop going as DaisyBud’s

By: 
Steve Chapman

Bud Bateman has turned the reins of his donut shop over to his niece, Angie Hicks Bradford. (Photo submitted)

When Bud Bateman, owner of Bud’s Donuts in Mt. Vernon, decided it was time to retire after 23 years in business, he didn’t have any trouble finding someone to take over for him. His niece, Angela Hicks Bradford, stepped up to the challenge.
Bradford took ownership of Bud’s Donuts, now Daisy Bud’s, on Oct. 1. She said she did it for the sake of keeping the family business going, and to keep a part of the Mt. Vernon community alive.
“It’s the family business, it’s been there over 20 years,” she said. “You can’t let the family business die. Community is (also) very important to me, and since it’s been there so long, it’s like losing a part of the Mt. Vernon community, and I (couldn’t) let that happen either.”
Aside from the name, little has changed at the donut shop.
“Right now, we’ve only done surface changes with appearance,” Bradford said. “We have kept all of Bud’s recipes. (But) I’ve included a couple of new ones that have been very popular.”
In January, Bradford plans to hold a grand reopening of DaisyBud’s. She plans to offer a few new items, including a raised donut cake, which she described as being like “a birthday cake.” She’ll also offer a new way for people to bake their donuts at home, which she describes as a “take and bake” option.
“For those people who really enjoy … the baked fritters and the baked cinnamon rolls,” Bradford said, “they’ll be able to take those home and let them rise … and bake them at home.”
Bradford also said she will extend the donut shop’s hours.
“We will have an adjustment to our hours after the start of the year,” she said. “We will be looking at actually being open for a couple of hours in the afternoon to get that school crowd. Since we have Wi-Fi, the kids will be able to come in and work on their homework and have a safe place where Mom and Dad can trust they can be (safe).”
Bradford isn’t alone in running Daisy Bud’s. Her mother and her grandmother help her to run the donut shop. For Bradford, the extra time with them is a bonus.
“I love that my mother and my grandmother are involved,” she said. “I get to spend more time with them.”
 As for Uncle Bud, Bradford said he’s making the most of retirement.
“Bud is just enjoying life,” she said. “He took a big trip and went to Las Vegas … to visit his dad. He and (his wife) Cathy have just planned to enjoy the finer things in life and drive around in their RV.”
DaisyBud’s Donuts is open Tuesday through Thursday from 5 a.m. until 10 a.m., and Friday and Saturday from 5 a.m. until 11 a.m. The shop closes early anytime they sell out of donuts. For more information or to place an order, call (417) 461-1032
 

Category:

Lawrence County Record

312 S. Hickory St.
Mt. Vernon, MO, 65712
www.lawrencecountyrecord.com

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