The beloved Detroit donut institution is expanding, and it’s celebrating in the sweetest way possible

Detroit has a soft spot for its institutions — the kind of places that have been feeding families, marking milestones and holding down neighborhoods for generations. Dutch Girl Donuts is one of them. And now, it’s growing.

Owner Paddy Lynch is opening a second Dutch Girl Donuts location in Detroit’s New Center area, and he’s chosen the most fitting day on the calendar to debut it: National Donut Day.

Dutch Girl Is Giving Away Free Doughnuts

On Friday, June 6, customers are invited to stop by the new space at 2820 E. Grand Blvd. for a sneak peek — and walk away with something sweet. From 8 to 10 a.m., while supplies last, every visitor gets two free doughnuts, no strings attached. Prepackaged assorted boxes of a dozen doughnuts are also available for purchase at $20 each.

For Lynch, the timing wasn’t an accident. The event is framed as a love letter to the city — a recognition of the loyal Detroiters who have supported the brand through its revival and expansion. National Donut Day just made it sweeter.

A Historic Building With a Story of Its Own

The new Dutch Girl location will be housed inside the Howrani Studios building, a storied structure on East Grand Boulevard in Detroit’s North End, adjacent to New Center. The building was home to the late Ameen Howrani, an award-winning Detroit photographer who launched his studio there in 1965. His legacy is woven into the walls of the space — and Lynch’s decision to preserve and repurpose it keeps that history alive while adding a new chapter.

Acquiring the building also adds another property to Lynch’s growing Detroit real estate portfolio, which reflects his deeper investment in the city’s fabric beyond just the donut business.

Dutch Girl Donuts’ Journey to Revival

Dutch Girl Donuts has been a Detroit staple since 1947. For decades, it was a family affair — operated by three generations of the Timmer family out of their original shop on Woodward Avenue. When Lynch purchased the Woodward location in late 2023, he took on more than a business. He took on a legacy.

After a thoughtful remodel, Lynch reopened the iconic Woodward Avenue shop in May 2024, restoring a piece of Detroit culture that locals feared might be lost. The response from the community was immediate and overwhelming.

Lynch’s Vision for Detroit Goes Beyond Doughnuts

Lynch isn’t just a donut guy. As a third-generation funeral director with Lynch and Sons Funeral Directors, a longstanding family-owned operation, he’s always been close to the heartbeat of Detroit communities. But over the past few years, he’s channeled that connection into a broader vision for the city.

Last summer, he added another beloved institution to his portfolio — the Dakota Inn Rathskeller, a German biergarten and restaurant on John R near Seven Mile that has been a Detroit fixture for more than 90 years. Like Dutch Girl, it’s the kind of place where memories are made and traditions run deep.

The pattern is clear: Lynch is drawn to businesses that carry meaning, businesses rooted in family, history and community. Rather than letting them fade, he’s giving them a future.

What the New Dutch Girl Location Means for Detroit

The expansion of Dutch Girl Donuts to a second location is more than a business milestone — it signals something bigger about Detroit’s cultural moment. The city is in a period of reinvention, and stories like this one show that reinvention doesn’t have to mean erasing the past.

It can mean honoring it, one doughnut at a time.

If you’re in Detroit on Friday morning, it’s worth swinging by the new East Grand Boulevard location. Free doughnuts, a beautiful historic space and a living piece of Detroit history — that’s a combination the city rarely lets go to waste.