A local family-run donut shop always has an experimental new flavor as an option. They offer it at a discount and ask customers for on-the-spot feedback, and it always runs out fast.

Customer: “What’s the special today?”

Owner: “We’ve got a mocha donut, and we’ve got black sesame. We’re down to our last batch for the sesame, though.”

Customer: “Interesting. I didn’t know you did savory donuts.”

Owner: “Savory? Nah, they’re both pretty sweet. Actually, people have been saying I put too much sugar in the mocha.”

Customer: “No, the sesame — is it like a bagel?”

Owner: “Nah, it’s black sesame; it gets used in desserts all the time.”

Customer: “But… sesame is a savory spice!”

Owner: “Not if you use it right! Here, try this.”

He hands her a slice of sesame donut.

Customer: “Oh, my God, that’s delicious! But… it’s a savory spice.”

Owner: *Shrugging* “Not if you use it in dessert, it isn’t!”

Customer: “Gimme one of each. And I have got to try that idea myself.”

A week later, the same customer is back

Customer: “So, remember that you told me about using savory spices in desserts?”

Owner: “Now hold on here. I told you about using sesame in desserts.”

Customer: “Oh… Yeah, that makes sense. Well, anyway, no one liked my cilantro cake.”

I am a nurse and have had a long and sad day. I stop at a donut place on the way home to get a box of six donuts (for my kids) and a coffee. 

I guess how my day went shows because the girl at the counter then picks up a box for a dozen.

Me: “Oh… no, I said six.”

The girl then puts a dozen donuts into the box and looks around at the donuts some more.

Me: “Sorry, I thought I said six. I can’t afford—”

She then SQUISHES about five more donuts into the box for good measure and closes the box.

Me: “What are you doing?”

She then smiles at me, slides the box over, and winks.

Me: “But—”

She then winks FURIOUSLY and holds up her hand when I try to hand over the money.

Cashier: “Go save lives!”

She then served the next customer, and I tried to figure out how to ensure my kids wouldn’t get a sugar rush that night!

There is a new Japanese donut store in my parents’ town. One day, while stopping by the ramen house adjacent to it, I decide to pop in and get some milk tea. They have a seasonal donut that looks good, so I decide to get one as well. 

There are no other customers in the store and only one employee working. After she does some things around the space, she takes my order. After handing me my tea and donut, she goes back to work. I stand there for a moment before she looks back at me, confused.

Employee: “I’m sorry, did you need something else?”

Me: *Pauses* “Yes… To pay?”

Employee: “Oh. Huh.”

She looked confused but rang me up. The seasonal donut was supposed to be a dollar extra, but she didn’t ring that in. By then, I’d been there for nearly ten minutes, and I knew my ride was circling the block, so I just swiped my card and left. 

It’s a college town, but she was a middle-aged woman. She seriously was willing to let me leave with ten dollars worth of food without paying!

My wife used to have a doughnut shop. One day, these two teen girls came in and asked me:

Customers: “Are these doughnuts barely made?”

It took me a couple of seconds.

Me: “You mean fresh?”

Customers: “Duh! Yeah! Fresh!”

About a month ago, a favorite chain donut shop opened near me. There used to be several years ago, but they all closed. I went there a couple of times both before and after their grand opening.

I had a good coupon for a cream cheese bagel. It was good enough that today I decided on a repeat. However, it wasn’t morning; it was mid-afternoon. A couple of cars were out front, and several cars out back obviously belonged to staff, so I figured they weren’t going to be too busy. I should be able to get through the drive-thru in two or three minutes.

I pulled up. There was silence from the speaker for a minute. Then…

Speaker: “We’ll be with you in a few moments.”

I was in no hurry, so sure. About two minutes later:

Speaker: “Hi, how can I help you?”

Me: “I’d like an everything bagel with cream cheese and a medium coffee.”

Speaker: “We have bagel bites.”

Me: “I don’t want bagel bites. I’d like a standard everything bagel with cream cheese.”

Speaker: *After a long pause* “We’re out of everything bagels.”

Me: “That’s fine. Let me have a plain bagel with cream cheese. Oh! And do you have any chocolate-cream-filled donuts?”

Speaker: “Yes, we do.”

Me: “Add one of those to the order.”

I had been eating healthy for a while; I figured a rare donut as a treat would be fine.

Speaker: “Please pay at the first window.”

I pulled ahead and confirmed my order with the cashier, paid, and pulled ahead to the second window. I worked on a puzzle on my phone and listened to music. I was near the end of the third song — so I’d been waiting for nearly ten minutes — and I was hoping maybe the delay was that they had to brew the coffee fresh.

I was about to try getting someone’s attention when the window opened.

Employee: “Here you are.”

He handed me a small package. By feel, I could tell it was a bagel. 

Me: “Where’s the rest?”

Employee: “The rest?”

Me: “Yeah, I ordered coffee and a donut, as well.”

Employee: “Hang on.”

He disappeared and I unwrapped the bagel. At first, I just saw a bagel — no cream cheese. I opened it and it seemed to have been lightly brushed by something. It could’ve been butter or it could’ve been cream cheese, but it was essentially a plain bagel.

The window opened again. The cashier was helping out.

Cashier: “Here’s your coffee. We’re out of chocolate-cream-filled donuts, but I picked out these chocolate donuts.”

He handed me the coffee and a box with a half-dozen plain donuts that were chocolate frosted and a couple with sprinkles. I was dumbfounded.

Me: “Well, do you have vanilla cream?”

Cashier: “Yes, we have those.”

Me: “That’s fine, too. It doesn’t have to be chocolate.”

I started to hand back the box.

Cashier: “That’s okay. Keep those.”

Me: “Okay, but one other thing: the bagel only has a tiny hint of cream cheese. The last time I was here, there was an actual layer of cream cheese.”

Cashier: “We have containers of cream cheese we put on the bagels, and we’re only supposed to use one, but I can get you another container of cream cheese.”

I was suspecting a lie of some kind unless the container held a mere half-teaspoon of cream cheese. There wasn’t much more to the conversation. He returned with the cream cheese and not one but two vanilla-cream-filled donuts. I appreciated the kindness to fix up my order, but how do you screw it up so badly in the first place? Besides, I wasn’t going to eat all those donuts. I guess I’ll bring them to the office tomorrow for everyone else.