Dutch Girl Donuts is a defining piece of Paddy Lynch’s family history and he’s not about to deprive the next generation.
Lynch hosted a soft opening Saturday as the new owner of the iconic Woodward Avenue donut shop following its closure in 2021. Staffed with new and legacy workers, Dutch Girl passed out one to two donuts apiece to visitors for free ahead of an official opening as soon as Mother’s Day weekend, he said.
“I’ve been coming here since I was a little boy. My parents, when they were dating, my mom lived out here, so my dad was always coming here,” Lynch said during the Saturday morning festivities. “It’s part of my family history. I live on Woodward so it’s on my daily commute and I was always stopping in as an adult.”
Lynch said after learning of the founding family’s intention to sell, his intimate connection to the shop inspired him to write a letter to the Dutch Girl family and “the rest is history.” The legacy owner’s son, Jon Timmer, is among the staff members staying on into the shop’s next chapter and sharing the authentic family recipe.
“It’s such a beautiful thing because donuts are pretty much accessible to everyone,” he said. “They cost a couple bucks and they bring people joy. Dutch Girl has been bringing people together for decades now. The whole city appreciates its history, legacy and the tradition and that’s what we’re celebrating.”
Customers line up outside of Dutch Girl Donuts on May 4, 2024 for the store’s soft opening in anticipation of a planned Mother’s Day Re-opening. Credit: Quinn Banks, Special to BridgeDetroit 
(from left) Hanna Timmer Parrow and Onica Ashley handing out donuts during the Dutch Girl soft opening on May 4, 2024. Credit: Quinn Banks, Special to BridgeDetroit 
(from left) Daughter of previous owner Hanna Timmer Parrow and Onica Ashley handing out donuts on May 4, 2024. Credit: Quinn Banks, Special to BridgeDetroit 
Returning employee Kiesha Shaw removes donuts from an icing bath on May 4, 2024 during the soft opening for Dutch Girl Donuts. Credit: Quinn Banks, Special to BridgeDetroit 
Customers enjoying donuts outside of Dutch Girl Donuts on May 4, 2024 during the Store’s soft opening. Credit: Quinn Banks, Special to BridgeDetroit 
(from left) Helen Parrow and Granddaughter of previous Dutch Girl owners/great granddaughter of original owner Cecelia Voss, Aly DiFilippo on May 4, 2024 watching Jon Timmer load dough into a mixer. Credit: Quinn Banks, Special to BridgeDetroit 
Jon Timmer, son of Dutch Girl’s founders Gene and Lauren Timmer, is returning to Dutch Girl Donuts as the Store’s donut maker on May 4, 2024. Credit: Quinn Banks, Special to BridgeDetroit 
Paddy Lynch greets eager customers at the soft opening of the iconic donut store on May 4, 2024. Credit: Quinn Banks, Special to BridgeDetroit
Dutch Girl is located at 19000 Woodward Avenue, one block south of Seven Mile.