Ryan and Geri-Martha O’Hara, founders of Big Spoon Creamery, have partnered with close friends Jim and Amy Watkins, who founded Steel City Pops, to launch a new doughnut concept in Avondale, Sons Donuts.
According to a press release, Ryan O’Hara notes that the doughnut shop will be a new doughnut experience, serving mini doughnuts cooked hot to order with choices of sugar dustings and handcrafted dipping sauces.
“We’ve been working on this concept for (more than three) years, and we’re so excited to finally be bringing it to fruition,” Ryan O’Hara said. “It’s a very interactive experience where guests can choose the perfect flavor combination from our unique offerings of sugars and dipping sauces. Doughnuts are then cooked to order and served piping hot, so you can enjoy watching your doughnuts being made right in front of you.”
In addition to doughnuts, Sons also will offer locally roasted coffee from Non-Fiction Coffee, fresh-squeezed orange juice and a milk bar with housemade flavored milk shots.
Geri-Martha O’Hara, the pastry chef behind Big Spoon Creamery, has been responsible for developing the recipes and curating the menu.
“I am so excited to share these fluffy hot mini doughnuts with the Birmingham community,” she said. “The Sons doughnut is golden brown and crispy on the outside, soft and airy on the inside. One of my all-time favorite desserts is hot doughnuts or beignets with a side of creme anglaise for dipping, and we’re thrilled to share that type of experience with our guests.”
According to the O’Haras, their relationship with the Watkins family goes much deeper than doughnuts.
“We have been close friends since the early days of Big Spoon and Steel City,” Ryan O’Hara said. “Our families became fast friends through business in 2015, and we’ve been close ever since.
“Most people would have viewed us as competitors, but we just didn’t see it that way. We’ve always supported each other’s work, and we couldn’t be more excited to finally have the opportunity to work together.”
The Watkins shared a similar sentiment about their relationship with the O’Haras.
“We have such great respect for Ryan and Geri-Martha, certainly for how they have built their business but much more for who they are,” Amy Watkins said. “We are grateful for their friendship and couldn’t be happier to be collaborating on Sons.
Jim Watkins added, “It has been a fun collaboration, because each one of us has unique gifts that have made Sons better than it would have been if we hadn’t done it together.”
The Sons Donuts location will be in Avondale, next door to Big Spoon Creamery at 4000 Third Ave. S. It will operate seven days a week: Sunday through Thursday from 7 a.m. until 9 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 7 a.m. until 10 p.m.
“Birmingham has been such a great home to both of our brands. We take seriously the responsibility to continue, and hopefully enhance, the rich culinary experience in Birmingham. We hope Sons Donuts makes our city proud because we sure are proud of Birmingham,” Jim Watkins said.
Sons Donuts is slated to open this spring. Follow @sonsdonuts on social media or visit its website for updates, sonsdonuts.com.
