When Paul’s Café, Donuts, Ice Cream & More recently announced that it’s closing, a wave of sadness and nostalgia swept through the St. Peters community that it has called home. Known for its light, spongy, hand-kneaded doughnuts with whimsical fillings and toppings, the hallowed breakfast institution will close its doors December 29.
Previously known as Paul’s Donuts, the beloved mom-and-pop shop was founded by Paul and Marti Murawski in north St. Louis County in 1968. When the family moved to St. Peters a few years later, they brought Paul’s Donuts with them.
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Current owners Bill and Julie Feld were longtime customers when they took over for the retiring Murawskis in 2008. The shop remained in the original St. Peters location until the Felds decided to expand the concept and relocate to a larger building in 2015.
With the announcement of the closing, the Felds informed their loyal following that Paul’s Donuts is for sale. A Facebook group, Save Paul’s Donut’s, was launched by regulars, but there’s currently no word on new owners stepping forward. Most of the group’s activity has consisted of family stories and memories like those of Michelle Robertson, whose mother, Sue Aiello, worked at Paul’s for 23 years.
“Paul’s old location really had that soda-shop vibe,” Robertson recalls of the first St. Peters incarnation. “It had a small-town feel, and seldom could I go in without seeing someone I know. You’d go in, and the regulars would be seated at the bar talking or reading the paper, and families would be sprinkled around the tables. My earliest memories of that location were from when I was about 3 or 4 years old.
“When my mom first started working there, she’d bring home doughnuts each evening,” Robertson continues. “Around the holidays, she’d get to bring home a crate of the chocolate milk that would expire over the Christmas holiday. I looked forward to that every year.”
“After band concerts or other school events, I’d come up to the shop and get a treat,” Robertson recalls. “When I was a pre-teen, I’d walk up to visit my mom on weekends and have a sundae. As I got older, that changed to a coffee and occasionally a donut. I’d bring the day-old donuts into school for my boyfriend, who is now my husband. He wasn’t allowed to eat sweets at home, so he’d shovel down a few. His dad jokes that it’s the whole reason he married me.”
She’s not the only St. Peters resident to serve Paul’s Donuts at her wedding reception, and the one-of-a-kind treats have been part of birthdays, baptisms, and other family celebrations. Now a mother herself, Robertson has taken monthly photos of her infant daughter with Paul’s doughnuts.
“I still can’t believe that in just one week it won’t be there anymore. I still can’t find a comparable donut,” says Robertson. “I just knew Paul’s would always be there: A smile, a doughnut, and a hot cup of coffee was always something I could count on.”
The lines at Paul’s Café, Donuts, Ice Cream & More have been considerably longer in its final weeks, so you can count on a slight wait for your doughnut fix when you visit. You can also expect that wait to be accompanied by stories and fond memories.
