BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT: Turtle’s Donut Shoppe Offers Sweets, Builds Memories Owners ready to rise to a new location
Story & Photos Contributed by Carey Head/Staff Writer For just shy of 60 years, patrons of the donut shop in Crestview Shopping Center have made sweet memories of warm donuts on cold mornings. The retail center at Seventh and Brookfield has housed a bakery in the building’s distinctive curved façade since Roy and Bessie Mae Essary opened Essary’s Donut Shop in 1962. The Essarys sold their donut business in 1980 and retired. Since then, the donut makers and bakery names have changed. But, according to Shannon Schieber, a donut shop in that location has remained a constant.
Glen Estes joined the Turtle’s team in 2005. He manages the front line and makes breads.
Three generations of Ponca City High School students filed in before practice, before class, before fully awake. Over the years, a book or two for homework has morphed into backpacks often as broad and hefty as the students carrying them. The line of customers waiting their turn often snakes out the door. In 2002, Shannon and husband Jeff purchased the former Mickael’s Bakery-Ponca City business from Jeff’s sister, Mickael “Miss” Schieber Lewis. At the time, Shannon and Jeff were seniors in college and newlyweds.
Owner Shannon Schie
for our sandwiches are cooked in-house; soups are homemade.” Shannon and Jeff trade opening the donut shop for each business day. Driving in from their Newkirk farm and ranch operation, the door is unlocked by 3 a.m. to make the day’s donuts. “Jeff and I make the donuts every day. Cake donuts first because there are a variety of flavors. Then we make the other donuts with yeast dough,” Shannon explains.
ber places shaped “Miss announced mounds of bread doug It takes an hour to make h into loaf pans in they were moving to preparation for rising one dough with an hour’s . Stillwater and we saw rising time for the yeast it as an opportunity donuts. After cutting into to jump ahead in life,” Shannon says. “If shapes including bear claws, pinecones, someone had told me this is what I’d long johns, twists, and cinnamon rolls, the be doing when I started college I would donuts are fried and glazed. have said, ‘I don’t think so!’” Tammy Emery is the donut fryer. Customers All see her when she is reloading the case. “She donuts has a heart of gold, that one. Doesn’t know are made anything but work and work some more,” in-house Shannon smiles. and fresh every day. Glen Estes, along with Marsha Glover, work “Everything the front. Glen joined the business in 2005. is from “Glen does the front work and makes the scratch,” loaves of sandwich and specialty breads. He Shannon can do anything that Jeff and I can do.” says. “Meats
continued on page 42 March 2021
41