Is Slow Rise the Most Popular Pop-Up in KC?
Jessica Dunkel’s doughnuts have gained a cult following so intense that not only does she sell out every pop-up, but her customers wait hours in line to get their hands on some.
Her pop-up Slow Rise began in 2022 like most—as a fun side gig outside of her full-time job. The handcrafted sourdough doughnuts, filled with homemade jams and creams, were a way to bring some of her Indonesian heritage to KC (sweet-filled breads are common in Indonesia). After a year of popping up around town, Dunkel became a vendor at Overland Park’s farmers market, and loyal clientele, myself included, were excited to have a consistent opportunity to buy her doughnuts.
That excitement came to a halt, however, as the farmers market season went on and customers were getting in line for Slow Rise doughnuts as early as 4 am (the Overland Park farmers market officially opens at 7:30 am). By the end of the season, as the weather began to cool, the “5 AM Doughnut Club,” as they called themselves, would set up their lawn chairs before the sun rose while bundling themselves with layers of blankets, mittens and stocking caps to keep warm.
Even the rare opportunity to place a preorder is met with intensity, with the most recent one selling out in a literal second (I know because I was one of the unfortunate souls who set a timer, stared at my phone screen with my online cart locked and loaded, only to be met with a “sold out” the second orders opened). The rat race now involved in trying to get even a half dozen of Dunkel’s delicious doughnuts has created frustration, with customers flooding to the pop-up’s Instagram (@slowrisekc) with comments of disappointment, some even exclaiming they’re “giving up” on trying to buy them. According to Dunkel, one customer even emailed her saying they are taking their business to other doughnut establishments, like Lamars.
The exclusivity that has become associated with Slow Rise doughnuts is not intentional.
“We make as many as we can,” says Dunkel.
Dunkel makes the donuts in her home with the help of her husband, Jeff. In their home kitchen, the couple wakes up as early as 1 am to make 1,000 donuts for each farmers market (Dunkel is a firm believer that donuts are meant to be eaten as fresh as possible, so making them further in advance is out of the question).
Still, at each pop-up and farmers market, Dunkel, her husband and their three boys, show up to their allotted vendor space to meet a line of customers, many of whom have already been waiting for hours.
While it’s great to have loyal customers, Dunkel says the hours-long wait times for her doughnuts makes her feel a lot of pressure. The longer that customers wait in line, the thinner their patience grows and more critical they are of her product. The fact that the doughnuts cost five dollars a piece, and Dunkel caps her orders at a dozen at a time, also may not help soothe a customer who has been waiting for hours.
Dunkel’s following may be overwhelming for her at times, but she says she is also in awe of the community that Slow Rise has created. Because customers are waiting for hours, they begin talking to others in line, often exchanging numbers and making unexpected friendships.
The success of Dunkel’s pop-up has also led to bigger opportunities, like her collaboration with Boulevard. Boulevard’s Brewhouse One Series, which collaborates with a local business to create an exclusive beer flavor, recently partnered with Slow Rise to make a pandan coconut doughnut ale.
For those of us who cannot justify waiting three hours in line for Slow Rise’s doughnuts, will we ever have the chance to try them again? There might be good news on the horizon.
Given her fast rise in popularity, Dunkel is looking for a permanent shop where she can sell her doughnuts. While it’s too early to give any concrete details, she hopes a brick and mortar site will allow her to keep up with the demand and continue to build her community.
We featured Slow Rise in our 2022 Sweets feature. Read about 42 essential sweets in KC, from bonbons to apple fritters, here.
The post Is Slow Rise the Most Popular Pop-Up in KC? appeared first on Kansas City Magazine.
Categories
Recent Posts
