ELLY GRIMM
• Leader & Times
Those looking for a spot to get some delicious baked goods in town now have a new option thanks to Crispy Ring Donuts at 633 S. Kansas Ave.
Owner Vanchan Tok said the journey to Liberal was a rather winding one.
“I'm originally from Boston and for a long time I wanted to have my own business. I did research a lot to decide what type of new business I wanted for me. Before, I had an employment agency, but right now, that is not good, so I started to research putting together a new business,” Tok said. “So I went out of the state for a couple months, and then I go to research again in San Antonio for couple months, and I go to California for two months, and then I decided to start the new business, which ended up becoming Crispy Ring Donuts. I started last year and right now we have a couple location – one in Hugoton and now the one in Liberal. The shop in Hugoton sees a lot of people, they love how our donuts are very soft, tasty and now I'm excited for people in Liberal to try what we have. We take pride in crafting each item using quality ingredients and time-tested recipes, ensuring every bite is soft, warm, and deliciously satisfying. Whether you’re wanting a classic glazed donut, a savory kolache, or one of our signature breakfast items, you can count on it being fresh.”
Ultimately, that journey brought Tok to Liberal and his new shop on the south side of Liberal.
“After I researched population of Liberal, and after I started looking more for any shop to provide a good service for people in Liberal, I found only one shop – Daylight Donuts – on the north side of town. I decided that's not enough, definitely not enough for almost 20,000 people. So I started looking for a building and location, and I eventually found our spot at 633 S. Kansas Ave.,” Tok said. “I spent a lot of around looking for a building, and when I came across this building, they'd just put it out for rent. I called the number on the sign, and for a while, they didn't pick up, and a couple months later, I got to meet with the owner of the building, and we started everything from there. For a time before we opened, I'd bring donuts in the car, and I pass around to almost every shop – I would drop them off, let them try my donut, and then I'd keep boosting everything on Facebook. A lot of people came in who wanted to try what I had, and it became clear they wanted me to open something like this.”
Tok said he and his staff are excited for Crispy Ring Donuts to be part of the Liberal community.
“We're very excited and I cannot wait to share my food with people. I cannot wait to hear good reviews from the community right now. A lot of places I dropped off donuts at, they say the donuts are very good, so we will try our best to serve the community,” Tok said. “I would like to thank the City of Liberal, they provided some big support. Second, I would like to thank the Chamber of Commerce in Liberal for supporting me and all the other business people in town. We have donuts, donut holes, cinnamon rolls, bear claws and many other delicious baked goods for people to try, and I'd love to see a bunch of people in here trying our food.”
