With the opening of the second location of Pharaoh’s Donuts, October 31 just got a little bit sweeter.
An announcement on Pharaoh’s Donuts’ Facebook page from owner Amon Aziz alerted devotees that a new store would open on Halloween in a tucked-away spot at 8 Maryland Plaza in the Central West End, a few steps from the former Coffee Cartel, now Bluemercury. (Another new donut shop, Daylight Donuts in Chesterfield, was also slated to debut today. That opening has been delayed several weeks.)
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Aziz, assisted by his daughter, Syeeda Aziz-Morris, has been quietly providing doughnuts to dozens of gas stations and corner stores in the bi-state area for 20 years. In 2014, after working out of a commissary space at Seventh and Pine streets, they opened a small store there to great fanfare. Many downtowners believe they’re the best doughnuts in town. In SLM‘s 2018 feature on the “Best Doughnuts in St. Louis,” Aziz attributed the pastries’ popularity to “high-quality flour, getting as much water into the dough as possible, and maintaining stable dough temperatures.”
This January, Aziz moved the store into larger digs inside the Paul Brown Building, at 202 N. Ninth, and has been looking to grow since. He says the CWE has been a favorite hangout for years (“Love the neighborhood; love the vibe,” he says) and he’s a member of the CWE-based St. Louis Chess Club.
Along with basic offerings, such as glazed and several varieties of cake doughnuts, are glazed twists, vanilla- and chocolate-iced long johns, custard- and lemon-filled doughnuts, strawberry jelly–filled Bismarcks, apple fritters, and iced cinnamon rolls. Other specialties include strawberry cheesecake, cheesecake crumb, and Death by Chocolate. To celebrate today’s grand opening, Aziz is giving away a free glazed doughnut with purchase.
Due to space limitations, the donuts are baked fresh daily at the downtown commissary and ferried out to the CWE every morning.
The inaugural hours are 7 a.m.–3 p.m. daily. Aziz plans to eventually expand hours to 6 a.m.–6 p.m., then stay open until 9 p.m. on weekends as additional staff is hired.
Asked about the provenance of the name, Aziz jokes, “It’s named after me.” (Amun was an Egyptian diety, and pharaoh is the title bestowed upon ancient Egyptian rulers.) When American Pharoah became the 12th Triple Crown winner, in 2015, Aziz was questioned about the spelling of the donut shop. Alas, the spelling of the horse’s name was incorrect but inadvertent. “That confusion sent me to do some research. But trust me,” says Aziz, “Pharaoh is correct.”
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