Hurts so good
Jess Maulsby plans to open a Hurts Donut Co. franchise at 601 NW 23 in Oklahoma City this spring.
Jess Maulsby is undergoing a career change in pursuit of specialty doughnuts.
Maulsby plans to open a Hurts Donut Co. franchise at 601 NW 23 in Oklahoma City this spring. Famous for their quirky and elaborate products, Maulsby’s Hurts Donut franchise is the first in Oklahoma City and only the second in the metro area.
It's Maulsby’s first foray into the doughnut shop business, having previously worked in the oil and gas industry, but the Oklahoma City native had grown tired of spending many months a year in the field.
“I’d been looking for a while to get back home,” Maulsby said. “My brother-in-law in Memphis, Tennessee, got me turned on to Hurts Donut Co. He started sending me information and I went into one and said, ‘If I was to do a doughnut shop, this is how I was going to do it.’”
But franchising with Hurts is no easy task for Maulsby.
“They get 25 to 30 requests a week from people wanting to open franchises, so it took me a while to break through,” Maulsby said. “But once we did it felt like family. We’re a big doughnut family ... it felt natural.”
Maulsby said he and his wife, Sara Maulsby, were impressed by the company's culture, particularly its emphasis on philanthropy. After spending a day with corporate leaders in Springfield, Missouri, they were convinced.
“It was exciting to see a company that has the same beliefs we do,” Maulsby said. “It was very organic, our mesh with them, and that’s when we decided to move forward.”
The franchise agreement was signed in May 2017, but Maulsby didn’t sign a lease on the building until November.
“This area couldn’t be hotter right now,” Maulsby said. “This 23rd Street corridor is just booming — Oklahoma City has done well to revitalize this area. Everything around here is just really up and coming. This is just a perfect place to bring a fun, craft doughnut shop; it fits in with the neighborhood.”
Maulsby ultimately signed a 10-year lease in a building that has been unoccupied for years, said Bruce Fraley, the building’s co-owner. The space is nearly 4,000 square feet.
“Hurts Donut is a popular franchise, so we are excited to have them in there,” Fraley said. “It’s exciting to be a part of the whole (23rd Street) redevelopment. It’s a good mix because you’ve got some good national business and some good local business.”
Construction began in January, and Maulsby expects to be finished this spring. Precautions are being taken to preserve a large bank-vault door to be featured in the restaurant.
“Part of my vision for this store is to showcase the entire process,” Maulsby said. “We have convection ovens, some of the baddest fryers on the market, our hood system is getting set up — we make everything on site.”
When Hurts Donut opens, the enthusiastic owner insists the store operates “25 hours a day, 8 days a week.”
“Once we turn that light on, we never close those doors,” Maulsby said. The round-the-clock operation will require about 75 employees, Maulsby said.
While anticipation is building among fans of the store, Maulsby said his 4-year-old son, Max, might be the most eager for the opening.
“He asks me every day, ‘Dad, is the doughnut shop open yet?’”
Soon, Maulsby said. Just a few more months.