Johnny Cupcakes and Union Square Donuts Are Planning a Partnership
When Union Square Donuts’ giant, fluffy pastries first landed on the Somerville scene a few years back, co-owner Josh Danoff says their problem was never having enough doughnuts to go around. But since 2014, when the company moved into a space with a commercial kitchen double the size of its former home, there’s been a stack of doughnuts rising ever higher.
“We’re at this great point where we’re able to look for other partnerships and retail opportunities,” Danoff says.
Next month, it could be at a landmark local shop on Newbury Street: Johnny Cupcakes is finalizing a partnership with Union Square Donuts to potentially carry its “doughies” there, beginning in May.
GREAT meeting w/ @UnionSqDonuts today! If all goes as planned, we begin selling donuts at @JHNYCPKS_Boston May 14th! pic.twitter.com/jnWxPyodtj
— Johnny Cupcakes (@JohnnyCupcakes) April 14, 2016
A partnership has been in the works for a while, as Johnny Earle, the food-themed clothing brand’s founder, is a longtime USD customer. This is the 10-year anniversary of his shop on Newbury Street, Danoff says. “When Johnny was in the shop the other day, he said people have been coming into his place for years looking for food. He’s giving the people what they want.”
The two companies are still figuring out the logistics, including whether it would be a short-term pop-up or for the longterm. “Still working out details about this exciting possibility,” says Earle. “We don’t know if it will be daily, on special events, or as a super secret menu for customers who purchase a T-shirt at Johnny Cupcakes. Nothing is definite until I meet with my landlord this week. Fingers crossed!”
For his part, Danoff is excited about the possibilities. “We’re seeing this as a fun partnership between two brands that [each] have a very loyal following. We think there are some cool collaborations we can do, fun flavors we can come up with over time,” he says.
Doughies are three-bite doughnuts holes made of USD’s brioche dough. Typically, the bakers make a “doughie of the day” at the shop, from a rotating selection of flavors including toasted coconut, sprinkles, and cinnamon sugar.
“If all goes well with Johnny Cupcakes, we’re hoping to roll out more flavors for their shop,” Danoff says.
The Newbury Street pop-up would join USD’s flagship store on Bow Street in Somerville, as well as its stall in the Boston Public Market, and its retail availability at Triangle Coffee’s shipping container kiosk on Drydock Avenue. Union Square Doughnuts opened a satellite location next door to Clover in Inman Square, but Danoff says that lease is up at the end of the month.
“We constantly have an eye on where we could be, or pop up, or land next,” he says.
Johnny Cupcakes, 279 Newbury St., Boston, 617-375-0100, johnnycupcakes.com.
UPDATE, 12:15 p.m.: This story has been updated with a quote from Johnny Earle, founder of Johnny Cupcakes.
