Top Pot Doughnuts

Top Pot Doughnuts
Company typePrivate
IndustryCoffeehouses
FoundedFebruary 2002; 22 years ago (2002-02)
FounderMark and Michael Klebeck
Headquarters
Seattle, Washington
,
United States
Number of locations
17
Websitetoppotdoughnuts.com

Top Pot Doughnuts is a chain of coffee and doughnut cafes started in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Seattle, Washington. Top Pot began in February 2002 and was started by brothers Mark and Michael Klebeck.[1]

Locations

As of 16 November 2023, Top Pot has 17 cafe locations throughout the Puget Sound region,[2] though they are only made at their downtown Seattle and Bellevue locations and shipped to other locations in the region by truck. Their recipes are used for the doughnuts sold in more than 7,000 Starbucks stores in the U.S. and Canada[3] and also for doughnuts sold by Seattle-area grocer QFC. Top Pot Doughnuts are the official doughnut at Lumen Field, home of the Seattle Seahawks and Seattle Sounders FC.[4] In 2011, Top Pot became the official doughnut and coffee of the National Lacrosse League team Washington Stealth.[5] Starting in 2011, Top Pot Doughnuts expanded their offerings to grocery stores in Washington, Oregon, and California, including regional chain QFC.[6][7][8]

Founding

Top Pot's neon sign on 5th Avenue

The name "Top Pot" came from a vintage neon sign that was above a boarded-up Chinese restaurant called "Topspot". The co-founders bought the sign and while transporting it, the "S" fell off. Co-owner Mark suggested that they replace it with a coffee pot.[9] Top Pot Doughnuts roast their own coffee at the 5th Ave location in Seattle

Patrons

When U.S. president Barack Obama visited Seattle in October 2010, he and Senator Patty Murray stopped for doughnuts at the Top Pot on 5th Avenue in the Belltown/Denny Regrade neighborhood.[10]

In January 2011, Seattle mayor Mike McGinn bet (among various items) a dozen Top Pot maple bars with New Orleans mayor Mitch Landrieu over the NFL NFC Wild card game.[11]

In media

Television

Books

  • Klebeck, Mark; Klebeck, Michael; Thomson, Michael (2011). Top Pot Hand-Forged Doughnuts: Secrets and recipes for the home baker. San Francisco: Chronicle Books. ISBN 978-1-4521-0212-2.

See also

References

  1. ^ Melissa Allison,Top Pot Doughnuts investor sues co-founders over her diminished share of the growing empire Archived 2014-10-22 at the Wayback Machine, Seattle Times, 2009-03-04. Retrieved 2010-11-07.
  2. ^ "Locations Info". Top Pot Doughnuts. Retrieved Nov 16, 2023.
  3. ^ Melissa Allison, Why did Starbucks stop labeling its Top Pot doughnuts?, Seattle Times, 2010-04-05. Retrieved 2010-11-07.
  4. ^ Tate 'embarrassed' by doughnut incident, Associated Press/ESPN, 2010-06-08. Retrieved 2010-11-07.
  5. ^ "Top Pot Doughnuts Named Official Coffee and Doughnut for the Washington Stealth" (Press release). Comcast Arena. January 8, 2011. Retrieved July 30, 2012.
  6. ^ Werner, Christopher (October 3, 2011). "QFC Now Carries Top Pot Doughnuts". Seattle Metropolitan. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
  7. ^ "First Hill gets a Top Pot, too". capitolhillseattle.com. September 14, 2013. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
  8. ^ O'Hagan, Maureen (December 2014). "Brothers find sweet success with Top Pot doughnuts". magazine.washington.edu. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
  9. ^ Our Story Archived 2011-08-13 at the Wayback Machine, Top Pot Doughnuts (official site). Retrieved 2010-11-07.
  10. ^ Chris Grygiel, Obama stops by Top Pot Donuts: 'Can't eat these everyday', seattlepi.com, 2010-10-21. Retrieved 2010-11-07.
  11. ^ Cartier, Curtis (January 6, 2011). "Mike McGinn Bets New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu Doughnuts, Music, and Fish on Seahawks Win". Seattle Weekly. Archived from the original on January 16, 2013. Retrieved October 29, 2012.
  12. ^ Donut Paradise, Travel Channel

47°37′29″N 122°19′32″W / 47.62472°N 122.32556°W / 47.62472; -122.32556