Top Pot Doughnuts opens in the West Seattle Junction
The company is back in the community after leaving in 2021
Top Pot Doughnuts opens in the West Seattle Junction
The sign is understated but the flavors and quality are not. Top Pot doughnuts has come back to West Seattle, after leaving in 2021 from a location on Alki. They are now in the Junction at 4709 California Ave SW.
Photo by Patrick Robinson
Wed, 08/07/2024
Top Pot doughnuts is back in West Seattle. They previously had a location on Alki but in 2021 they got word the building owner was remodeling. That led to their exit but now they've reopened at 4709 California Ave SW (the former Flying Apron Baking location).
The company, with the new addition has 17 locations, and was founded in 2002 by brothers Michael and Mark Klebeck. But the name comes from what was basically a happy accident. They found a sign that originally read TOP SPOT. Mark described what happened next.
"Michael and I found that sign down in the Rainier Valley on the corner of Rainier and Genesee. And this is probably back in the 1990s and we saw the sign up on this building. It hadn't been working for years, so we offered the landlord, I think we bought it for under $500 and it originally said TOPSPOT. And nothing on it worked. And so we went to go have the sign refurbished when we found the first location we wanted to open a store. It was going to be called top spot doughnuts and we were driving along I-5 and the "S" blew off on the freeway!
It was late at night and so, and it was just one of these unfortunate things at the time. But I always say that the "S" that fell off was for serendipity because we never would have had the name."
The interior is decorated with lots of coffee pots (hence Top Pot) to celebrate the pairing of doughnuts and coffee. The pairing of coffee and doughnuts has been popular since the early 20th century when donut shops began to open in the United States. The combination became a breakfast staple in the early to mid-1800s as Dutch and German communities moved west and coffee became more popular than tea. Doughnut shops often served fresh doughnuts and coffee to workers on their way to work, and the combination became a symbol of comfort and convenience.
The most popular item on the menu is their maple bar followed by a variety of glazed doughnuts. They are not made on site but rather in a central kitchen location. Still there's nearly always a great selection on hand.
Mark offered a good description of where doughnuts fit in your life. "Doughnuts are like coffee. It's something that's still very accessible. It's still affordable, and it's something that, you know, you can kind of walk out of the house and you're not going to break the bank, but you can go and enjoy, you know, something. And it's a nice experience."
The flavors and types are extensive. They are sold by the dozen at $28.95 though you can of course just buy a single doughnut, but those prices vary from $2.55 for plain up to $3.45. Fritters are $3.65.
Doughnut holes, called Pot Holes of course are $4.25 for five up to $28.95 for 50.
CLASSICS
FANCY
SEASONAL
They have a full range of beverages from drip coffee, Matcha, Chai, Italian Sodas, Ovaltine latte, hot chocolate and a variety of teas.
Top Pot is open Sunday through Thursday 6am to 7pm, Friday and Saturday 6am to 9pm.
Co Founder Mark Klebeck
The crew at Top Pot Doughnuts in the West Seattle Junction. Photo by Patrick Robinson
