Tom Warne of Donald's Donuts shares the secret to being number one.

The bright green roof of Donald’s Donuts in Muskingum County brings visitors back in time. Inside, large red cursive letters introduce customers to a decades-long legacy of over 40 varieties of homemade doughnuts.  

Founded in 1960 by Donald Warne, his son, Tom Warne, now runs the business with his daughter, Frances Warne, who is poised to inherit the business.  

Frances Warne posing in front of the donut case | Photo by Grace Miller
Tom Warne poses with shining pride. | Photo by Grace Miller

In June 2025, a USA Today  poll ranked Donald’s Donuts number one in the U.S. Tom Warne explains what makes his donuts the best in the country.  

Donald’s Donuts thanks USA Today 

Are the doughnuts homemade? What goes into making these donuts?   

We have two different types. There’s cake doughnuts and yeast doughnuts. The cake donuts are going to be like a cake batter you crank out in a compositor. So those you just crack them out into the fryer, cook them all inside, flip them, cook the other side and then once you pull them out, then you do all the different finishings, whether it’s ice or pop sugar. 

Yeast doughnuts, which are more like bread dough, are a totally different process. It’s got yeast; it’s got to sit and rise.  It’s a much longer process, but it’s just a different style.”   

 

Donald's Homemade Donuts | Photo by Grace Miller

Did USA Today reach out, or did they have a reporter come here and visit you guys?  

“USA Today has contributors all over the country. There was one contributor from Columbus. He had come to the shop and enjoyed it. The website lists a bunch of people that submitted doughnut shops to be in the poll, and he submitted us.  

“The poll went on for 30 or 45 days. In the last two weeks, you weren’t allowed to see how you were doing. It’s not something we were seeking out. It was like if this works out, it’ll be great.  

“Afterwards, we have had so many people reaching out. Radio Interviews from radio stations across the country, television and newspaper interviews. One of the things that has been fascinating, just seeing how many people are willing to travel for doughnuts.”  

What’s the most popular doughnut and which one is your personal favorite?  

“I’ve had a lot of time to think about this. The most popular goes back and forth between chocolate iced cream-filled, maple iced cream-filled and glazed. For me, if I could only eat one for the rest of my life, I think it’d be a maple iced cream-filled doughnut with peanuts on top.”  

What makes your doughnuts number one?   

“What makes us number one in the U.S. is the dedication that our family puts into it. My dad was Donald. He started this company in 1960, and I grew up doing this.  

A picture of Donald and Barbara Warne | Photo by Grace Miller

“We are very good at paying attention to every single step, all the little details that put the doughnut together. I think that’s what separates our doughnuts from all other doughnut shops out there and chains, where they just crank them out without giving any thought to it. We just pay attention.”