Original House of Donuts hiring for new downtown Tacoma store

A donut shop with a long history in the South Sound is now hiring for its new location in downtown Tacoma.

In December, the Tacoma Daily Index reported the Original House of Donuts was expected to open at 766 St. Helens Ave., a prime storefront located near the intersections of South 9th Street, St. Helens Avenue, and Broadway (see “A sweet sign for downtown Tacoma donut lovers,” Tacoma Daily Index, Dec. 9, 2014). The space was previously occupied by the Downtown Vision Center. It is also across the street from Tully’s Coffee.

At that time, the Tacoma Daily Index contacted Original House of Donuts owner Tom Peterson to inquire about the new location and hopefully learn more about the size of the new store, the opening date, the hours of operation, and reasons for opening a new location in downtown Tacoma. “We are doing construction in Tacoma, yes, but we aren’t ready to make an announcement just yet,” Peterson told the Tacoma Daily Index. He said more information about the new store would be available after the holidays.

Since then, crews removed the old Downtown Vision Center signage on April 15. Also last month, the Tacoma Daily Index reached out to Peterson via e-mail for an update on the store, but he did not respond. Meanwhile, ‘Now Hiring’ signs are posted in the papered-over storefront windows and carry the following message: ‘Now Hiring! Original House of Donuts is back in Tacoma and we are looking for smiling, happy faces to join our team. Please send us your resume at: info@thehouseofdonuts.com.’

The Original House of Donuts, which is located at 9638 Gravelly Lake Drive SW, was opened in 1959 by husband-and-wife owners Bob and Marilyn Cheatham, who ran the business for 50 years, according to the company’s Web site. The business (including the secret recipes for donuts) was sold to Peterson two years ago.

More information about the Original House of Donuts is available online here and here.

The Original House of Donuts in Lakewood plans to open a new location at 766 St. Helens Ave. in downtown Tacoma. (PHOTO BY TODD MATTHEWS)

The Original House of Donuts in Lakewood plans to open a new location in downtown Tacoma. The retail space, located at 766 St. Helens Ave., was formerly occupied by the Downtown Vision Center. (FILE PHOTO BY TODD MATTHEWS)

UPDATE | TUES., MAY 19 @ 6:40 P.M. — Spotted this afternoon: signage for the new donut shop . . .

Signage has been installed at the future Original House of Donuts in downtown Tacoma. (PHOTO BY TODD MATTHEWS)

Todd Matthews is editor of the Tacoma Daily Index, an award-winning journalist, and author of A Reporter At Large and Wah Mee. His journalism is collected online at wahmee.com.