Oram's in Beaver Falls turns dough into delectable treats for the senses
One bite is all it takes to get hooked.
Maybe it's the melt-in-your-mouth filling, the sweet, sugary glaze or the fluffy, soft dough. A taste of a pastry from Oram's Donut Shop makes you long for more of these delectable doughnuts and cinnamon rolls.
Made fresh daily, they don't stay in the Beaver Falls store's cases long. Customers are urged to get there early to get any.
“I believe we've been successful because of the recipe,” says Jon George, who, with wife Vickie, co-owns the long-time shop. “We still use the old-fashioned original recipe. And that's the difference in flavor and quality. We do it differently than the big chain stores.”
Made from scratch into the wee hours of the morning, trays upon trays of doughnuts and cinnamon rolls give off an amazing aroma as they await the morning rush.
Jon George handles most of the production while his wife oversees sales. The store opened in 1938 and is celebrating its 75th anniversary.
The Georges, who live in Chippewa, purchased the store from the original owners' foster son, Tom Bradshaw, who ran the business until May 1995, when illness forced him to close. Jon and Vickie George, long-time fans of the shop, re-opened it on Aug. 28, 1995.
“We have the greatest staff, and you have to have good people working for you to be successful in business,” Jon George says. “I totally trust my staff. They are wonderful. And we would never ask them to do anything that we haven't done, from making doughnuts to cleaning the store to waiting on customers.”
The philosophy is old-school, from using some of the original machinery and shelving to never cutting corners, Jon George says. He refuses to release the secret ingredients, but he will share the process of how the sweets are created. It all starts from scratch – from mixing dough to filling doughnuts to icing them. On a busy night, they will go through 1,000 pounds of dough. That number rises during the holidays.
Numerous containers of cream, peanut butter and fruit fillings — as well as buckets of icing, sugar and sprinkles — sit waiting to be used.
“In this business, freshness is key,” Jon George says. “ Because most doughnuts have a shelf life of 12 to 16 hours.”
That's why production starts late at night to make sure everything is fresh come 5 a.m. when the store opens. Leading the daily process is production manager Ryan Gerazounis.
“I believe it's our attention to detail,” he says. “We take doughnut-making seriously. And we make them fresh every day. We produce a great product.”
“It's not an easy business,” Jon George says. “We have to sacrifice a lot. It is kind of a 24-hour-a-day business. It really keeps us busy. But we love what we do, and we take pride in the product. We won't cut corners.”
The cinnamon rolls are enormous, covered in glaze and laced with layers of cinnamon. This top-selling item costs $1.20 each and $12.60 a dozen. Filled doughnuts are $1.15 each, $12 a dozen and raised doughnuts, $1.05 each and $10.80 a dozen.
“It's fun,” Gerazounis says. “At first, I didn't think I would like working nights, but here I am (nearly 14 years later). It's a great place to work. We all take pride in what we do.”
Oram's Donut Shop is located at 1406 7th Avenue, Beaver Falls. Hours are 5 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Saturday (closed between Christmas and New Year's Day). Details: 724-846-1504 or www.orams.com
JoAnne Klimovich Harrop is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. She can be reached at jharrop@tribweb.com or 412-320-7889.
