Cameron Hill and Lainey Lucas opened Death Grip Donuts, a food truck featuring a menu of perfectly curated, three-bite donuts with unique names and fun toppings, about eight months ago. Hill said that Lucas had previously suggested doing a pancake donut and the Sugar Maple Festival made perfect sense.
The couple had tried Uncle Boof’s pancakes at The Ugly Duckling, a breakfast/brunch restaurant that’s a collaboration between Blazin’ Dayton and Uncle Boof’s World Famous Pancake Mix, and the rest is history.
This will be Death Grip Donuts first collaboration with another local business.
“We’re all hustlers. We’re all trying to make it,” Hill said. “If we can utilize a great product of someone else, let’s combine them, create something special and really put Dayton, Ohio on the map.”
When Dexter Clay, also known as “Uncle Boof,” started Uncle Boof’s World Famous Pancake Mix with Zach Jeckering, he said it was all about collaborating. They did several pop-up events at businesses throughout downtown Dayton.
“Being an entrepreneur, collaboration is probably the best thing to do,” Clay said. “I started off by selling my own clothing brand and collaborating with relevant brands in genuine ways (was important).”
The Locals Only donut is a celebration of community, craftsmanship and the essence of Dayton in every bite.
“The collaboration between Death Grip Donuts and Uncle Boof represents more than just a partnership between two local businesses — it’s a tribute to the spirit of Dayton,” the owners said. “Through this collaboration, both teams aim to highlight the incredible talent, creativity, and community that thrive within the city.”
Credit: Shutter Steve Photography
Credit: Shutter Steve Photography
Clay said he was “blown away” by the fun and creative way Death Grip Donuts used his pancake mix.
“You can pull that pipette out, drizzle it and just eat it,” Hill said. “It’s obnoxious. It’s probably not going to be the easiest (to eat).”
Death Grip Donuts will have a total of 24 different donuts at the Sugar Maple Festival including eight new seasonal flavors such as Fresh to Death (a regular glaze donut topped with a dollop of lemon and finished with a fresh raspberry and graham cracker sprinkles) or Berry Breathin (a regular glaze donut topped with blueberry cheesecake filling and sprinkled with graham cracker.
If you like the maple glaze on the Locals Only donut, the owners recommend trying the Breakfast at Mamaw’s or Don’t Go Bacon My Heart donuts.
The Locals Only donut will be exclusive to the Sugar Maple Festival, where Hill hopes to walk away with having the best themed food of the weekend.
For those who aren’t able to attend the Sugar Maple Festival, The Ugly Duckling is doing a pop-up with a limited menu at 9 a.m. Sunday at The Local 937, 1501 E. Fifth St. in Dayton.
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