Fractured Prune Doughnuts opens
LOWER PROVIDENCE » Prunella would be proud.
Her legend has made it all the way from Ocean City, Md. to Audubon Square in Lower Providence, in the form of fresh hot cake doughnuts made to order, which, sadly, the poor dear herself never got to taste in her lifetime.
The tale of Prunella Shriek, a plucky 19th Century athlete who was in the habit of injuring herself — “Fractured Prunella,” her friends called her — playing against men in such sports as skiing and ice skating, is available for customers to enjoy at Fractured Prune Doughnuts, as they consider which of more than a dozen house-made, honey-based glazes and toppings will help create their individualized specialty doughnuts.
The lore is just part of the attraction that drew owners Steve and Kathie Kotch to the franchise, which started in 1976 as a small shop in Ocean City, Md., with a founder who wanted to pay homage in his own quirky way to a hometown hero by naming the shop after her.
“It is a little quirky … I’m a little bit quirky,” said Steve Kotch, laughing.
A former sporting goods salesman, Steve recalled being impressed by the huge loyal following the chain had developed, and how quickly the doughnuts were selling out at a Jersey shore location he visited a few times.
“We love to vacation in Sea