New to the Lou: Daylight Come and Me Wanna Go Home.

Day-O, Saints, we are back for semester two finding the best corners of flavor in St. Louis and surrounding areas of Maryville University.

Starting off sweet with Daylight Donuts in Chesterfield, Missouri. Daylight Donuts is not a donut shop located only in St. Louis, but it’s a shop that holds near and dear to who I am, and I wanted to share it with you all.

Let’s take it way back when… calories didn’t matter and donuts were $0.79 a pop. I have been a donut lover since I can remember, and my relationship with donuts goes way back. Way back to when I still wore my glasses and my collared shirts and khakis to school each day. My grandma would often pick me up from school and take me to Daylight Donuts, where we were regulars at the time.

Now, I’m not sure what kind of strings my granny had to pull, but somehow a girl like me got to pick out my own sprinkles for any donuts I wished. Picking out my own sprinkles also meant that the icing had to be poured fresh each time as well, just so the sprinkles would stick. This is a memory with my grandma that I will forever appreciate, because man do I love donuts.

I’m from Quincy, Illinois and at one point in time, we were sporting three Daylight Donuts locations. For a town the size of Quincy, there’s barely one of any store, so to have three of something was mighty special. If you were wondering how far my love for donuts extends; It is tradition for my birthday cake to be made of donuts. Candles and all!

The last Daylight Donuts in Quincy closed in 2018, and its since then I had my last date with them.

When I found a Daylight Donuts was under ten minutes from campus, I knew I had to go, and share the love with my roommates as well. I grabbed a variety half dozen of what they had made fresh that morning including a Blueberry Cake Donut, a Cinnamon Twist, an original Glazed, a Vanilla Cake Donut with Sprinkles, Strawberry Glazed Cake Donut, and an Old Fashioned.

A trip down taste-bud nostalgia lane was the perfect way to start my day, and share the flavors with my friends!

Nika Vemdal is a third-year actuarial science major here at Maryville. She is originally from Sweden, but her family now lives in South Carolina. Nika didn’t have her first donut until she got to America, so she was very excited to try the blend of Daylight Donuts.

After opening the box, I saw Nika’s eyes light up, “They were the coolest donuts I’ve ever seen”. Her favorite donut was the Strawberry Glazed Cake Donut.

Jordan Bodden, my roommate and second-year physical therapy major, says that the donuts made her day, “I’ve been craving donuts, so these hit the spot!”

This is my second semester away from home, so sometimes reaching for something familiar can provide you a sense of comfort and joy. Daylight Donuts will always be a place that reminds me of where I come from. Lean into what brings you joy, and don’t shy away from splurging on yourself, and indulging every now and then!

You can find out more about Daylight Donuts pricing and menu here.