Jack's Donuts to open in Muncie

<p>Gus Goggin, a senior general studies major at Ball State, will be opening a&nbsp;Jack's Donuts in Muncie this May.&nbsp;The shop will have fresh, homemeade doughnuts made each day, as well as coffee and other drinks. <em>DN PHOTO MEGAN MELTON</em></p>

Gus Goggin, a senior general studies major at Ball State, will be opening a Jack's Donuts in Muncie this May. The shop will have fresh, homemeade doughnuts made each day, as well as coffee and other drinks. DN PHOTO MEGAN MELTON

The new location will be at 2900 West White River Blvd.

In mid-May, Jack’s Donuts will open its fifth Indiana location in Muncie. 

Owner Gus Goggin, a senior general studies major at Ball State, said he enjoys working in the food and service industry, which is why he decided to open Jack’s Donuts instead of going to graduate school. 

He said Muncie has grown to feel like home to him. 

“I wanted to do something where I could be involved in the community, and a doughnut shop, as silly as it is, is ... a great way to be in schools and churches and groups like that,” he said. “At first, it was like, ‘That would be amazing if that actually happened,’ and then the more I looked into it, it was like, 'This could actually happen.'"

Goggin got the idea to open the shop in October, and he has been working full time at the original Jack’s Donuts location in New Castle, Ind., where he grew up. 

Goggin said Jack's is "almost a part of the community" in New Castle. When he first contacted corporate about fundraising, he was worried about rejection because of his age and other reasons, but the doors continued to open for him.

He said going to school while opening a doughnut shop has given him "senioritis times 20." However, he said his classes and encouragement from professors have gotten him to where he is now. 

He started off studying English education and English, but for his last semester he had to choose between being a full-time student and opening the franchise. So instead of putting the company on the back burner, he became a general studies major instead. 

Goggin will make doughnuts at the shop while his wife does bookkeeping and works up front. The store will have fresh, homemade doughnuts every day, as well as coffee and other drinks.

"It can be a coffee shop where you sit and do homework and study, or it can be a late-night stop where you just grab a dozen doughnuts and go on to the next thing," Goggin said. "We want it to just be a blast, even if you're there for two minutes or if you're there for two hours. ... We really do want to be an uplifting part of people's day."

Goggin said he plans to have a Reese's doughnut, a doughnut with strawberry cream cheese, a doughnut topped with mint icing and pizza-sized doughnuts in the case. Other stores make the giant doughnuts, but not display them. 

In the fall, Goggin said he would like to have a doughnut cart in the Village at night, or come to campus every Friday.

Lee Marcum is the CEO of Jack's Donuts and lives in Muncie. He said Goggin knows what it takes to make Jack's work in Muncie.

"Just because he's so young, I'm really excited for him to really get this experience, because he's going to get more experience in the first six months than you can get [in] years at a career," Marcum said. "A lot of times people don't know that when you own your own business, nothing's gonna get done unless you do it. ... It's gonna be awesome, and I'm happy for [Goggin]."

Junior psychology major Emily Baker has been going to Jack's Donuts in New Castle since kindergarten when her dad would take her every Friday before school.

"I was very excited [when I found out they were opening]. I was like, 'Yes, I can finally get really good doughnuts,'" Baker said. "My dad has a Snapchat and he'll always send me Snapchats of [Jack's Donuts], and I get so jealous. ... So now, I can send him Snapchats and make him jealous of the doughnuts."

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