A dad-daughter team starts Edmonton doughnut shop

“Doughnuts are the currency of happiness. Everybody loves doughnuts,” Arlyn Sturwold, a local baker says confidently.

And with that mindset, his doughnut shop became Edmonton’s local hot spot for anyone with a sweet tooth.

Destination Doughnuts is only in its ninth month of operation. The founders are Aryln Sturwold and his daughter Jill Sturwold. Both are NAIT graduates but with very different diplomas. Arlyn is a graduate of the baking program. He has returned at the age of 50 to get his apprenticeship as a pipefitter.

Jill, on the other hand, did not take baking; she took Lab/X-ray Technology. She is currently managing their social media whilst working for Edmonton Corporation in the field of Health Safety and Environment.

The idea of opening a doughnut shop in Edmonton was brought up when his daughter saw a doughnut shop in Toronto. Sturwold talks about making his own gourmet doughnut and the benefits behind it. Sturwold believes that “this allows a person to focus on a unique item. You get a good return for it. You do it really well, you make a name for yourself.”

Despite the contrasting educations, Arlyn can still see parallels between the two industries.

“And I’ll tell you this: any good baker can make a good pipefitter. Any good pipefitter is going to make a great baker.”

While Sturwold believes his business has been thriving, he does admit however the permitting process and the cost of getting into business was a challenge.  “Every time you turn around, there’s a new permit you need,” he said.

When asked about the ban on artificial trans fat, Sturwold says that wasn’t an issue and that “[Destination Doughnuts’] using canola oil, which comes straight out of the field… Having been working in baking all my life, I’ve worked in an era of different ingredients and such that came and went and you get really familiar with working around the new requirements.”

Arlyn thinks he is very fortunate to open his shop at this time. He says “The city really is its people. I think we’re living in a really good time in this city. There’s life here. It’s just the whole renewal I guess, starting with maybe Conner McDavid, the new arena (we’re close to the Ice District)… That’s just giving me a lift—giving everybody a lift.”

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