You Don't Need a Membership to Join Lakewood's New Doughnut Club

Get ready to get your dose of sweetness in Lakewood: The Doughnut Club opens this weekend at 7281 West Alaska Drive in the Belmar shopping complex. Owned by Ondrea and Marquez Fernandez, founders of the Dough Bar, an online company that sells protein-packed baked goods, the new shop will offer an array of huge, indulgent doughnuts as well as the healthier snacks that landed the husband-and-wife team on TV.

Ondrea says she and her husband created the protein doughnut "because we wanted to enjoy the sweet treats we loved but didn't feel we could eat every single day." She notes that the couple taught themselves how to make doughnuts in her 600-square-foot kitchen in Silicon Valley. "We felt it would be unique and fun to create a doughnut — baked, not fried — with added protein, and it was an amazing way to start the day for us."

Ondrea and Marquez founded the Dough Bar in April 2015 as a way to share this healthy bite with customers. Their primary product is a yeast-risen doughnut that has added protein and almond flour (but no soy), and comes with the topping on the side so customers can custom-glaze their treats. Choices are vast, with flavors ranging from blueberry streusel to churro to maple bacon. The company also makes gluten-free cake doughnuts such as cranberry white chocolate, peanut butter fudge and birthday cake. The online shop proved successful enough that the Fernandezes were invited to appear twice on ABC's Shark Tank. 

Shortly after the boom in their protein doughnut business, the couple decided to leave California and bring their ideas to Colorado. In 2019, they launched the Doughnut Club shop in Fort Collins and a second location at 3040 Blake Street in Denver, adding more indulgent conventional doughnuts to their repertoire. The Lakewood spot marks the third brick-and-mortar Doughnut Club to complement the online Dough Bar business.

"We've been working with customers online for almost six years, and while we love the convenience of online communication, there's nothing like seeing a human being and putting a smile on their face," says Ondrea. "Even if it's masked."

This is not your typical doughnut shop, however. Instead of glass display cases, the Doughnut Club places each flavor in a gold frame, where it spins slowly so that guests can see the sweet treat from all angles. There are also colorful murals on the walls, and the overall vibe of the space exudes youth, fun and whimsy. 

"Our customers will experience not only a tasty, but an extremely fun, interesting, celebratory environment," says Ondrea. "The doughnuts are meant to be an experience of the power of aesthetics, through and through."

There are about two dozen flavors of doughnuts available most days, and the lineup will change periodically with new options each month. Some types to look forward to include the Cookie Monster, which has two doughnut holes and a cookie-butter infused glaze; the Poaster Tastry, a large take on a toaster pastry that has a strawberry filling; and the It's Flamin'...Trust Us, which is a savory doughnut with nacho cheese and Flamin' Hot Cheetos on top. The Doughnut Club has both yeast-risen and cake options, and prices range from $2.75 to $5.

The grand opening of the Doughnut Club takes place this weekend at 7821 West Alaska Drive. Visit today until 8 p.m., Saturday from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., or Sunday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.