The Donut Experiment — Restaurant in Anna Maria island

My mother and I absolutely love The Donut Experiment. We wake up at 6:30 AM to drive down to AMI at least once a week to get donuts and coffee when they open. It is our favorite donut shop, and we have yet to have had donuts better than these. We love that they are freshly made throughout the day and that there are so many different options for toppings. Donut lovers, I’d suggest getting there EARLY to beat Island traffic, get a good parking spot, and to avoid a long wait time because Summer is their busiest time!

However, today was a bit different. I had ordered my usual 24oz House Iced Coffee, and after my first sip I noticed that it tasted bitter. It is the sweetest coffee on the menu (I believe), so I asked the girl who made my coffee if there was a way she could sweeten it more. Before she could answer me, the lady working the cash register stepped in and said “really? That’s the sweetest they come.” I informed her that I get the house iced coffee every time I come in and that it tasted bitter today. Instead of her offering me a solution (like maybe adding milk or creamer or even making me a new drink) she snapped at me and insisted that they make it the same way every day. I then told her that it tasted bitter, but if they truly could not do anything to fix it then it was fine. I wasn’t going to waste my time or hers going back and forth, so I went to the self-serve coffee bar they have and tried pouring the creamer into my coffee to sweeten it. It was still bitter after that, so I waited until I got home to add my own flavored creamer for it to finally taste sweet. I did not catch the name of the lady working the cash register, but she is about 5’6 with shoulder length blonde hair and wears glasses. I will not let this one bad experience change my perspective. On a brighter note, my mother loved her hot mocha latte and our donuts were beautifully made and tasted delicious as usual. We will both be returning again and again, but now I am a bit hesitant to order the house iced coffee.

EDIT: I did rewrite this review as I thought my initial post was too hostile. I appreciate the apology response. All...

Don't get me wrong the Donuts are absolutely fantastic. Best donuts ever.

However, I think I may have found what the "experiment" is. If you have ever visited this place than you will know exactly what I'm talking about. And if your about to visit than you are going to find out shortly. The experiment seems to be, Attract droves of people with these amazing donuts yet force them stand in agonizing conditions while they wait for their magnificent delicacies. It seems as if the the fan above the fryer is completely off and the AC is barely sputtering out room temperature air. You walk in and immediately struggle to catch a sufficient breath due to the ridiculous amounts of grease floating in between the crowds, yes 50+ people breathing with no air conditioning and a fryer on. The idea seems to be "let's see if people will still buy our donuts, when they are borderline passing out".

It is very hard to appreciate the product you are producing when the conditions created to enjoy that product are absolutely unbearable.

How the employees handle these working conditions, I have no idea. You could probably boost the morale by providing a comfortable work environment.

I'm driving home in what smells like a grease trap, unable to escape the smell because my clothes and skin have sucked in the stench.

Please. Do something about this.

Other than a fan in the corner.

Love your...

Freshly made cake donuts that are warm, moist and fluffy on the inside. While having a nice crispy thin crust on the outside. You get to customize your own. Limited to one topping and one frosting. They do have specialized donuts such as a sriracha donut and more. Hot or iced coffee is also served to enjoy with your delectable donut. I felt like the donuts could have been a tad bit sweeter but my wife thought they were perfect.

Service is excellent and efficient. You fill out an order form that contains all the possible combination of donuts containing one frosting and one topping. You simply write how many of each one you would like, hand it to the cashier, pay for your donuts, and then they start working on your order. By the time I was done paying and received my iced coffee, our donuts were pretty much ready already. It probably only took us 5 mins from placing our order to receiving it even with the caveat they they were extra busy with Bay Fest going on. We did only order three donuts and an iced coffee though. I'm sure the wait will be a little longer for a bigger order.

Tons of seating available. We were able to get a nice shaded area outside in the...