“I Wanna Go Back to Ohio State, to Old Columbus Town...”
Ohio State's campus is full of legendary bars, restaurants and campus spots – and we visit all of them.
In this week's article, we talked to James, a senior employee at Buckeye Donuts, to give us perspective about the historical importance of this little donut shop, the changes around campus and some of the crazy stories that have happened over the years.
History of Buckeye Donuts
In 1969, Buckeye Donuts was founded under the ownership of a Jolly Pirate Donut chain. Obviously, this campus favorite is not known as a Jolly Pirate, that is because over time, the brand lost its popularity.
"As Jolly Pirate fell to the wayside, they changed the name to Buckeye Donuts," James said.
The exact year of this change is not known, but Buckeye Donuts has never looked back since the change.
How Campus Changed
Buckeye Donuts is fortunate to have a front-row seat at the growth of Ohio State over the last few decades. Located in the middle of High Street, Buckeye Donuts has seen development all around.
"Each lot is being torn down and turned into large buildings," James pointed out. "The Wendy's next door used to just be a Wendy's with a parking lot, now it's a giant high rise with apartments."
The growth of Ohio State is undeniable and speaks to the popularity and prosperity of the university.
Best Buckeye Memory
As Buckeye Donuts is open 24/7, they witness the rising levels of activity on campus and throughout Columbus. From seeing the early birds get their morning coffee, to students lining up after an Ohio State victory Buckeye Donuts is there through it all.
"The hustle and bustle of the city is fun to witness", James said as he comes from a smaller town.
Anyone that has special memories at Ohio State most likely has one that involves the neon sign of Buckeye Donuts, which is why this place is so unique.
Building Buckeye Community
As the name suggests, Buckeye Donuts is a major factor in the feeling of belonging and community throughout Buckeye Nation.
James was quick to point out "this place is absolutely famous," and he highlights that "every gameday people come in and talk about how they used to go there, regardless if it was the 70s, 80s, 90s, or 2000s.
"It's a generational establishment. Those who used to come in usually have their kids with them."
Menu Must-Haves
Buckeye Donuts clearly serves a wide array of fantastic donuts. One fan favorite is the Buckeye Donut.
"The Buckeye Donut, that is the tourist donut. That is what the freshmen and alumni get," James jokes.
James says some less obvious fan favorites are the "blueberry cake, red-velvet cream cheese, and the apple fritters."
Craziest Memory
You might notice there are nods to Prince on some of the Buckeye Donuts shirts. That is not just because Buckeye Donuts' workers are huge Prince fans.
"After a show, Prince's bodyguard came in, checked out the place, and said, 'Prince is going to come in,'" James recalled. "Prince sat down right over there and ate an old fashion donut. He just wanted to unwind, no crazy Prince stuff."
Buckeye Donuts is located on High Street on campus, and is open 24/7. On March 1st, they are running a promotion called "Fat Tuesday." They will be serving Pączkis along with their normal variety of donuts.
