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ABOUT US
Old Town Donuts owner, Keith Took |
OLD
TOWN DONUTS
IT'S A FAMILY BUSINESS!
Old Town Donuts was started in 1968 by current
owner Keith Took's sister Claudia and her husband,
Steve Burns, at a location in Florissant on Lindbergh
Blvd. Three years later the couple moved their store
to Berkeley before relocating to its present location
on New Florissant Road in 1980. When his brother-in-
law desired to change careers in 1996, Took bought the business.
"Prior
to that I worked as a sales representative for SelectDrink, a
Coca-Cola distributor in North County," says Took, whose staff
now includes approximately 30 employees who range in age from
15 to 92. "Steve wanted to go into teaching and became a Ph.D.
in exercise physiology. He decided to retire from the family business
and I said, 'That sounds like something I'd be interested in.'
I took over in July 1996."
Even in a recession, people still enjoy donuts, according to Took.
"Business has been exactly the same through the years," he says.
"We cater to schools, churches, seniors, kids. The donut business
hasn't changed." Additionally, Old Town Donuts is a frequent and
generous contributor of pastries to myriad charitable organizations
and events.
Took has maintained a faithful clientele despite the arrival of
big-time competitors. "When Krispy Kreme came to town, everybody
tried them," he says. "But eventually our customers all came back.
We're kind of like a landmark. People come from everywhere, they
come back here from St. Charles, O'Fallon and all around."
Last year, in fact, KSDK, Channel 5 asked viewers the place they
would most like to visit one more time if they were moving from
St. Louis, and then did a feature on the top-ranked places, including
Old Town Donuts. Additionally, says Took, "We were voted #1 donut
shop in metropolitan St. Louis in 2009 by WIL-FM on the 'Cornbread
Show.' We went up against 12 other shops and came in first with
a panel of cab drivers and police officers." Adds Took with a
laugh, "Nobody knows donuts better than them."
Took, 55, is a graduate of McCluer High School. He is a member
of the Board of Directors of the Greater North County Chamber
of Commerce, belongs to the Rotary Club of Florissant and is a
former treasurer of the Florissant Ambassadors.
A member of St. Rose Philippine Duchesne Parish in Florissant,
he is married to attorney JoAnn Donovan, the 2008 Florissant Valley
Chamber of Commerce Businessperson of the Year. They have four
children, three sons and one daughter (two each from their first
marriages), all of whom have worked at Old Town Donuts.
Took
was named Businessperson of the year by the Greater North County
Chamber of Commerce in 2010.
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We're
much more than your local donut shop!
