KAUKAUNA (NBC 26) — Five years ago, Kim Thiel went on a road trip five years ago that changed everything and led to the creation of a locally-loved Fox Valley doughnut shop.
- Kim Thiel was inspired to open Cheeky Doughnuts in Kimberly after a road trip five years ago.
- She had little experience with fresh doughnuts but studied and experimented before launching the shop last November.
Cheeky Doughnuts focuses on scratch-made treats using whole ingredients, which Thiel calls “essentially a healthy doughnuts.”
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)
“I went to a doughnut shop very similar to this, and it was life-changing because it lit a fire in me to do something,” she said.
Thiel opened Cheeky Doughnuts in Kimberly last November after years of planning. Despite growing up working at her parents’ coffee shop in Door County, she didn’t always have doughnuts on her menu.
“I had experienced fresh doughnuts maybe two or three times in my life,” Thiel said.
But after a fateful road trip, she went to a library, checked out books, and started making donuts. With the help of her two daughters, friends, and family, they opened Cheeky Doughnuts with a mission to be different.
“We do everything from scratch. We use whole ingredients. It is essentially a healthy doughnut,” Thiel said.
The Cheeky crew even invited NBC 26 reporter Noah Cornelius behind the counter, teaching him how it’s done. But, he decided to tap out after the dough kneading process because he said was afraid of ruining some of the product.
As for the doughnuts, Thiel jokes that despite being healthier, they won’t get you abs overnight. But you may enjoy the experience beyond the doughnut.
“It’s meant to be a special little treat that you need to carve out time to go enjoy,” she said.
Kim and her crew say they do want to expand someday, but for now, they want to maintain their “quaint little doughnut shop" in Kimberly—a community they are incredibly grateful for, including their support.
