Casual Friday Donuts owners hope future is sweet for donuts and beer

Already the owners of two bakeries and a donut shop, Joe and Amber Owens have decided to open yet another business offering sweet confections – and wine and beer.

The new Casual Friday Donuts, 325 S. Sullivan Road in Spokane Valley, is mostly ready to go. Co-owner Amber Owens said the opening, potentially as early as the end of the month, is just waiting on some glass for the display case and the liquor license.

“In the middle of a pandemic, it’s not the most secure time to open a new location,” Owens said. “But I feel like things are starting to open back up, and people are going out and enjoying local businesses.”

Joe and Amber Owens currently operate the Lilac City Bakery at 1215 N. Ruby St., Casual Friday Donuts at 3402 N. Division St., and Celebrations Bakery at 315 S. Sullivan Road, which is in the same strip mall as the new Casual Friday Donuts location.

“We love our property manager here. When that spot became available, we were like, ‘Let’s capture that,’” she said. “We really wanted a drive-thru and enough square footage for a seating area. This marked all the boxes.”

In addition to donuts, the menu will include savory items such as salads, grilled-cheese sandwiches, soups and a selection of wines and local brews.

“It’s going to be awesome, I think,” Owens said. “You can never be too confident.”

The Owens opened their first bakery in 2011. Amber Owens said she had eight years of experience working in restaurants prior to that.

Joe Owens, the food and beverage director at Davenport Hotels, has about 18 years of experience in the field, she said.

“What sets us apart is that we are willing to put in the time,” she said. “If you are not willing to put in the late nights, weekends and holidays, you won’t be successful.”