Crave Doughnuts — Restaurant in Whitby

Firstly, I love the creativity of the folks at Crave. The constantly changing flavour combinations that they come up with for their donuts are great. So why only 3 stars? I’ve tried Crave several times over the last few years - going back to when they only had a rolling rack one day per week at another person’s little bakery in south Ajax - and unfortunately they consistently fry their donuts in grease that’s not the right temperature. How do I know? I’m a pastry chef and donuts should never absorb the oil they’re fried in - I can literally see the oil when I look inside a Crave donut. Not a tonne of oil, but it’s visible and you can taste the grease - especially on their sour cream donuts (like Confetti Cake). I’ve also had a few experiences - including a Tiramisu Cheesecake donut from yesterday - where their brioche donuts had been in the oil a little too long. Not only could you taste the burnt dough but you could see that the bottom of the donuts were way too dark. Given the price point of the donuts, these types of errors are not acceptable. That batch should never have been served. I know that hurts after you’ve gone to all the trouble of making the dough, but sometimes you need to admit that you need to start over. These are mistakes that rookies make but the folks at Crave are not rookies. They should know better. I hate leaving a less than positive review because I do love the concept & the fact that they’ve been so successful that they’ve already opened a second location but there are some issues that need addressing. These are not one-offs - I’ve had this experience several times over many years and I hope that this feedback will be helpful to the team. I wish you guys all the luck in the world!

EDIT: It’s very bizarre to me that a business would publicly appeal to customers to only leave positive reviews rather than honest ones. A public plea for constructive criticism to be kept private is arguably more damaging to a small business than the review itself. It’s all part of the industry & has been for decades. Crave has literally received hundreds of glowing reviews on Google alone. A handful of reviews that politely point out where you can improve is not going to make or break your...

First time customer here. Stopped in just before closing and staff was still very friendly, no complaints about service! The place looked very clean and presentable. I had a bit of sticker shock -- over $5 for 1 donut seems a bit much. I decided to try out their apple crunch donut. The flavor and size of the donut does make up for a lot of the price tag, I can't lie there! They have a nice bit of apple pie filling on top of the donut in the middle, but no caramel or apple pie filling pipes into the donut (it's a solid donut, so with the filling on top and only in the middle it's an inch or more of pastry with all the flavor on top). Maybe this is how most of the customers like it, maybe I'm the exception to the norm. It hands-down beats Tim Hortons donuts any day of the week. I wish they'd spread the apple pie filling over the full top of the donut or pipe some of that (or caramel) inside the donut for the price. Maybe offer a half size selection for half the price because the economy is still bumpy and it would sell to more people if it didn't cost so much for each donut. Even the quantity discounts are out of range for a lot of people who live close to the shop. Overall, it was a great treat from a place I'd never been before in Whitby. But that sticker shock will make it a "once in a while" place that I'll drive by more often than not, unless they offer something smaller for less or slash...

Craving More: Crave donuts are absolutely amazing and are definitely worth checking out if you are in Whitby.

Donuts: While their flavours may come across as non-traditional, they are always a delight. In addition to surprising your tastebuds, they are always fun to look at as well. Creations like their Twix donut are as unique as they are a challenge to finish.

Donuts for all: With the rise of dietary restrictions, Crave also offers a number of flavours that are vegan friendly. Unlike other vegan options, Crave's vegan donuts are incredibly similar to their non vegan counter parts, often it is difficult to know if their vegan options have dairy in them as the taste is so similar.

Location: The store itself is intimate and with COVID only allows one person/family in at a time as there is not a lot of space. I found that this is often better as you do not feel rushed.

Helpful: Every time I have been to Crave, I have always had great service. Not only is everyone friendly but they are also patient selecting donuts from both their vegan and non vegan options.

Tip: Reserving donuts is helpful however if you forget it is better to check their website to see if they have sold out as donuts go fast.

Crave is currently on vacation until the beginning of September 2021 but I cannot wait for them to come back as their donuts make great surprises...