Allen Renquist and Matt Anlyan are the new owners of Donut Inn at 1427 Military Cutoff Road.

Renquist and Anlyan purchased the business in late December from former owners Phil and Patty Santomassi.
 
The Santomassies met with Renquist and Anlyan, along with several other potential buyers. They had a certain type of buyer in mind, and Renquist an Anlyan fit the bill.
 
Phil Santomassi, who was also the original owner of Beach Bagels, said that he enjoys getting a business up and going and once it is in a good place, he likes to pass it on and begin a new project. 
 
Up until now, Renquist and Anlyan have dedicated themselves to humanitarian work through the Raleigh-based Stop Hunger Now. The organization works to feed children in schools and clinics around the world.
 
After many years of overseas travel, Renquist said the time had come for he and Anlyan to pursue a new dream of building a business locally. Both have families and were interested in finding a business that would allow them time with their loved ones as well as an opportunity to support local humanitarian efforts.
 
The new owners have already partnered with The Hope Center, a Wilmington organization that provides meals to the homeless, scheduling end-of-day pick-ups, where all of the days remaining baked goods are donated.
 
“Being former career humanitarians, we needed to find a way to give back,” Renquist said. “We’ve been fighting hunger for the last ten years, and the issue of food waste is very important to us. This partnership allows us to help out locally and eliminate waste.”
 
Renquist says he hopes it will be the first of many such partnerships with local nonprofits.
 
As for changes coming to Donut Inn, Renquist said customers can expect some minor updates to the lunch menu, as well as expanded catering and delivery options.
 
“We want people to know that we can provide breakfast and lunch catering for meetings and office events, and we’d love to see Donut Inn donuts in hotel lobbies across the city,” Renquist said.
 
Donut Inn will now be carrying coffee from Java Estate Roastery of Hampstead. There are also plans for a fully covered patio as well as an ice cream bar this spring. One thing that won’t be changing are the hand-cut, scratch made doughnuts prepared daily.
 
“We couldn’t be happier about this opportunity and are grateful to the Santomassies for their guidance during this transition,” Renquist said. “Donut Inn allows us a lifestyle that includes time with our families and making people happy. At the end of the day we are just two local guys serving our hometown and having a blast doing it.”
 
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