Nashville built a serious donut culture over five decades, moving from classic glazed rings at neighborhood counters to laminated cronut-style hybrids and gourmet mini donuts paired with bourbon. The three shops below cover that span. A yeasted donut relies on commercial yeast for a light, airy crumb, while a cake donut uses chemical leaveners (baking powder or soda) for a denser, richer bite. Brioche dough sits at the rich end of yeasted, with butter enrichment in the 25 to 30 percent range. Laminated dough, the basis of croissant-donut hybrids, folds butter into the dough across multiple turns and a cold bulk ferment that can run 24 to 72 hours. The cronut itself was created by Dominique Ansel in New York City in 2013, and the name is trademarked. Tennessee commercial bakeries operate under the state Department of Agriculture and follow the FDA Food Code for handling, holding, and labeling. Vegan donut formulas usually swap dairy butter for plant fats and use oat or soy milk as the liquid.
Quick Comparison #
| Firm | Credentials | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Five Daughters Bakery | National recognition for the 100-Layer Donut three-day lamination process, multiple Nashville-area locations since 2015, grass-fed butter and Tennessee strawberry sourcing | Laminated cronut-style hybrid donuts with paleo and gluten-free lines made by a third-generation baker |
| Fox's Donut Den | Norman Fox 50-plus year Green Hills tradition since 1973, iconic Harlow's neon sign restored from Memphis, Lipscomb University community fixture | Classic yeasted glazed rings, cake donuts, filled varieties, apple fritters, twists, and bear claws on the original Hillsboro Pike footprint since 1977 |
| Donut Distillery | Travel Channel and Cooking Channel donut wall feature, Nashville Food Truck Association membership during mobile years, established franchising and catering program | Fresh-fried mini donuts paired with local bourbon, craft beer, and wine flights plus wedding-wall installations and non-dairy oat-milk glazes |
1. Five Daughters Bakery (East Nashville) #
Five Daughters Bakery is a Nashville-grown shop founded by Isaac and Stephanie Meek in 2015. Isaac is a third-generation baker, and the bakery name comes from the couple’s five daughters. The Meeks started by selling donuts out of their home to local coffee shops, then opened their first two storefronts in 2015 in 12 South and the Factory at Franklin. The brand has since expanded to multiple Nashville-area locations, including East Nashville, L&L Market, and additional sites in the Southeast.
The 100-Layer Donut Signature #
The shop is known nationally for the 100-Layer Donut, a laminated hybrid that takes three days to produce. Day one is the dough, day two folds in the butter through repeated turns to build the layer count, and day three is the fry and finish. The cross-section shows the layered structure, which is the visual signature customers come for. Staple 100-Layer flavors include maple glazed, vanilla cream, and chocolate sea salt, with rotating seasonal varieties. The bakery also runs a paleo line and gluten-free options for guests with dietary restrictions, and Isaac Meek favors local and organic ingredients where the supply chain allows, including grass-fed butter and Tennessee strawberries in season.
Address and Phone #
The East Nashville Five Daughters Bakery location sits at 1900 Eastland Avenue, Suite 101, Nashville, TN 37206. The shop opens at 7 a.m. weekdays and 8 a.m. on weekends and runs until 9 p.m. or sold out. Call (615) 891-1293 for daily availability, custom orders, and wholesale inquiries.
https://fivedaughtersbakery.com/
2. Fox’s Donut Den (Green Hills) #
Fox’s Donut Den is the long-running Green Hills classic, opened by Norman Fox in 1973 after he purchased a portion of the Memphis-based Harlow’s Honey Fluff Doughnuts franchise. Norman, a Lipscomb University graduate, named the business at his wife’s suggestion. The shop originally operated at a different Nashville address before settling at its current Hillsboro Pike spot in 1977, where it has stayed ever since. The bakery has served Lipscomb students, Green Hills residents, and Nashville commuters for more than five decades.
Iconic Neon Sign and Classic Lineup #
When the cafe moved to Green Hills, Norman bought the original Harlow’s neon sign for $1,200 and trucked it from Memphis. The pre-1970s sign, with its dancing donuts and Dutch-boy mascot, is one of the most recognizable storefronts in the Green Hills district. The menu sticks to the classic playbook: glazed yeasted rings, cake donuts, filled varieties (Bavarian cream, lemon, jelly), apple fritters, twists, and bear claws. The shop opens early to catch the morning rush and has long served as a neighborhood landmark for birthdays, school events, and Lipscomb athletics gatherings.
Address and Phone #
The Fox’s Donut Den storefront is at 3900 Hillsboro Pike, Suite 2, Nashville, TN 37215, in the Green Hills shopping corridor. Reach the shop at (615) 385-1021 for daily fresh varieties, large-quantity orders for offices and schools, and information on the regular fundraiser pricing.
3. Donut Distillery (East Nashville) #
Donut Distillery brings a gourmet twist to the Nashville donut scene, started by Shauna McCoy with her husband and co-founder Todd. The brand began as a mobile concept in 2016, then transitioned to a brick-and-mortar spot in East Nashville in 2017 after Shauna left her corporate role to run the donut concept full time. The cafe pairs hand-made mini donuts with coffee, craft beer, wine, and bourbon flights, leaning into the “distillery” framing that gives the shop its name. The brand also offers a franchising program and has built a strong wedding and event catering business across Middle Tennessee.
Mini Donuts and Spirit Pairings #
The signature product is a fresh-fried mini donut made to order, glazed and topped with flavors that change seasonally. Customers can pair flights of donuts with sample-size pours of local bourbon, craft beer, or wine, a format that fits the Nashville tourism market on Gallatin Avenue. Wedding clients order donut walls and tower displays, and the catering side stages branded boxes for corporate events and conventions. The kitchen accommodates several dietary requests, including non-dairy glazes built on oat milk for vegan and lactose-sensitive guests.
Address and Phone #
The East Nashville flagship at Donut Distillery is at 311 Gallatin Avenue, Nashville, TN 37206. Hours run Sunday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Thursday 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Friday through Saturday 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Call (615) 319-4535 to discuss wedding orders, corporate catering, donut wall installations, and franchise inquiries.
Selection Methodology #
Scratch donut programs sort on three signals: yeast-raised versus cake-recipe split disclosed on the menu, frying medium (canola, vegetable shortening, beef tallow at the heritage shops), and lamination program for cruller, croissant-donut, or kouign-amann style stock. The three shops above each publish recipe and frying-medium detail, hold Tennessee Department of Agriculture inspection records on file, list seven-plus years of Davidson County continuous operation, document scratch-made daily production (rather than thaw-and-fry frozen dough from a national distributor), and operate from a brand-anchored Nashville street address. Pop-up cart-only operators without health-department permits were excluded.
Frequently Asked Questions #
Q: How can I tell a scratch-made donut from a thaw-and-fry?
A: A scratch yeasted donut has visible variation in shape, a faintly uneven glaze line, and a soft pull-apart crumb. A thaw-and-fry donut from a national distributor shows uniform shape, uniform glaze coverage, and a denser bite. The three shops above mix dough on site daily rather than thawing frozen rings.
Q: Can I order a custom donut wall or large tray for an event?
A: Donut Distillery built its catering brand around wedding donut walls and corporate tower displays, with bookings opened weeks in advance for peak season. Five Daughters Bakery takes large orders for the 100-Layer line with 48 to 72 hour notice. Fox’s Donut Den runs neighborhood-tray pricing for offices, schools, and Lipscomb athletics events.
Q: Are any of the three shops paid placements?
A: No. The three profiles above are editorial selections drawn from publicly verifiable sources. No firm sponsored placement.
Q: How long will a donut stay good after I pick it up?
A: A yeasted donut peaks within four to six hours of fry. A cake donut holds shape for a day. The 100-Layer laminated hybrid is at peak the day it fries and goes stale fast given its butter content. For a next-day option, store in a paper bag at room temperature and reheat in a 300 degree oven for two minutes to revive the texture.
Editorial Note #
This guide was published on 2026-05-11 and reflects research current as of that date. Verify licenses, phone numbers, and current business status before engaging any firm.