Night Crawler, Bedazzled, Rehab, The Daisy, S.O.S., Kiddie Craze. These are just a few of the creative names given to a variety of unique donuts found at the newly opened donut shop, The Donut Conspiracy, owned by an FHC family, the Drotars. Located on East Beltline next to Great Clips, it is a refreshing breath of fresh air compared to the string of chain donut shops scattered around Grand Rapids.  The Donut Conspiracy is a perfect place to fill all your donut cravings– whether that be a classic or one-of-a-kind flavor.

I stood in front of the enticing glass case attempting to figure out how in the world I was going to choose just four donuts (thanks Mom) for a good ten minutes. At last, I decided on the Maple Bacon, Muddin, Round the Campfire, and Case of the Monday’s. My reactions are as follows:

Maple Bacon: Though not a completely uncommon flavor, this donut definitely provided a strange combination of flavors. It was a long donut with maple icing, topped with bacon bits. I have never tried a maple bacon donut, so at first the sweet-and-salty combination shocked me. However, after growing accustomed to the flavor, I liked it a lot. The icing provided a delicious sweet taste, while the bacon adds saltiness and chewiness. I prefer the more classic, sweet types of donuts, but I still thoroughly enjoyed this flavor.

Muddin: Speaking of classic flavors, this chocolatey donut is exactly that. Muddin is a chocolate donut with chocolate icing, garnished with chocolate shavings. I am an immense fan of all things chocolate, and this donut certainly did not disappoint. The chocolate shavings made this donut slightly different from the average chocolate donut, plus it added an interesting texture and chocolate taste.

Round the Campfire: Upon laying my eyes on this donut, I was quite excited to try it. It had chocolate frosting, was covered in graham cracker crumbs, and was finally topped off with a single, slightly charred marshmallow. Despite its extravagant appearance, I was slightly disappointed with the taste. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but I wanted more out of this donut. Nonetheless, the donut was definitely enjoyable.

Case of the Mondays: Finally, this donut was a cinnamon donut covered in Cinnamon Toast Crunch bits, and drizzled with cinnamon sugar icing. I was hoping the cereal would add a unique crunch to the donut, but the Cinnamon Toast Crunch was actually chewy. At first I was put off by the odd texture, but as I ate the donut more, the texture grew on me. The donut itself was heavenly. I especially liked the icing, as the sugary drizzle was quite tasty.

My one objection for this shop was that based on the title, what I heard, and what I saw online, I was expecting a stronger theme of “conspiracy” or “secrecy” to be present. Besides the newspapers covering the tables, this theme was absent.

All in all, I left The Donut Conspiracy with chocolate on my face, sticky fingers, and a very satisfied stomach. I would absolutely recommend this place to others. I really enjoyed how unique this shop was, and I am definitely happy to have a non-chain donut shop to go to in Grand Rapids. Every single donut I tasted was of exceptional quality- the dough, icing, everything. The outstanding donuts will surely lure me back to The Donut Conspiracy very soon.