As Kristen Rohanna tends to doughnuts in a fryer, a man walks into the building. Instead of walking to the counter, he goes to drop off a UPS package at Mailboxes Plus More. Next to them is the Travel Savers, where another customer is talking to Rohanna’s mother-in-law. As the man turns away from his package, freshly fried miniature doughnuts, glistening under heat lamps, catch his eye. As he looks, Rohanna asks, “Hi, would you like some doughnuts?”
A minute later, the new customer walks out of the building with three cinnamon sugar and three Nutella and strawberries topped doughnuts.
This is exactly what Rohanna and her husband, Tom Rohanna, the owners of The Dapper Doughnut hoped for when they chose 230 Bill George Drive as their base. Originally, The Dapper Doughnut corporation advised the couple to set up in Morgantown, West Virginia. But the Rohanna’s decided Waynesburg could use a specialty miniature doughnut shop, and corporate respected their decision.
“Even though we are in a franchise system, we still decide on what we think is best for our business,” said Kristen Rohanna. “We feel there is a need still in Waynesburg. It’s a risk, I must admit, because it’s a small town compared to Morgantown.”
While this is the first business the Rohannas have owned, they are familiar with the food industry. Tom Rohanna is a Waynesburg local, who graduated from Waynesburg University with a business degree. While working for New Lams Garden as a delivery driver, he explored several business opportunities, but didn’t find any that suited him. He decided he wanted to stay in the food industry and decided Waynesburg could use a small doughnut shop. His wife agreed, and now the two run the shop.
The Rohannas are celebrating their opening Sept. 29, by handing out free sugar doughnuts from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Additionally, they will participate in the Love Greene Project on the same day. They will sponsor the event by giving doughnuts to the volunteers. The couple hopes to aid more events and fundraisers in the future.
“The fundraisers are a big part of our business,” said Kristen Rohanna. “So if an organization wants to have a fundraiser with us, we will do that as well.”
Tom Rohanna wanted to keep his shop in town, but he recognizes competition comes with a growing business area. Even now, construction on a Dunkin’ Donuts is in progress and set to open in mid-November. The Dapper Donut and Dunkin’ Donuts, however, are two different types of stores in the eyes of the Rohannas.
“I am worried it will somehow affect our sales,” said Kristen Rohanna on the new Dunkin’ Donuts location. “But there’s always a share of the market for everybody, and our business is very niche. We are confident, because we are two different companies.”
The Rohannas said they are looking forward to integrating a fresh, clean standard to their brand and their doughnuts.
“Not just the doughnuts, but the whole store,” said Thomas Rohanna. “We like to focus on keeping it real clean, and we are all into the new health standards, we are all for it. We want to give them a clean experience.”