PRINTON THE JOB
Stay up late with Kevin Hicks as he makes doughnuts while others sleep
May 8, 2008 | 12:00 a.m. CST
Most people think of doughnuts as a treat to enjoy while relaxing, something to get you ready for the day or a snack to munch on during the game. But do they realize one man slaves away during the wee hours of the morning to provide these puffy pastries to the hungry masses? Just ask Kevin Hicks, owner of Dixie Cream Donuts, about how his nocturnal work schedule eats up his social life. But don’t even think about asking him for a free doughnut.
Vox: How did you get into the doughnut-making business?
Kevin Hicks: Well, I’ve pretty much been self-employed my whole life, so (it’s) just another venture. It’s our third
business we’ve had.
Vox: What were your other jobs?
KH: Landscaping and trucking.
Vox: Do you have a favorite out of those three?
KH: No.
Vox: You said you work about 15 to 16 hours a day, seven days a week. What exactly are the hours you spend here?
KH: From 9 at night to 10 or 11, 12 in the afternoon the next day.
Vox: What kind of social life do you have with those hours?
KH: I don’t. I go home and go to bed. There are only 24 hours in a day.
Vox: You make a lot of doughnuts, especially on the weekends for churches. About how many do you make on Sundays?
KH: Well this is just a mom-and-pop operation. Everything is done manually. You can’t compare this to a big franchise, but approximately 200 dozen.
Vox: How much of that is for local churches?
KH: About half of that.
Vox: Do friends often bug you for free doughnuts?
KH: Everybody always wants a free doughnut. We give all of our leftovers to the Central Missouri Food Bank and
Harbor House. But I don’t give out free doughnuts for parties.
Vox: Do you have any crazy designs for holidays?
KH: We do that for Halloween, Christmas and other days. Valentine’s Day is the biggest one. It’s a relatively new
concept here.
Vox: What is your least favorite part about owning Dixie
Cream Donuts?
KH: Hiring people is my least favorite. I can’t find anybody to do this job. We’ve gone through 40 people over the last year. Right now, it’s not pleasurable.
Vox: What is your favorite part?
KH: I don’t really have a favorite.
Vox: Is there any truth to the cop-doughnut stereotype in
your experience?
KH: No cop has ever come out here.
