History made: Cedar Rapids doughnut shop now accepting credit cards

CEDAR RAPIDS - Donutland is now taking credit cards.

Yes, you read that right.

'Can you believe it?” owner Vicki Zinkula said Thursday. 'The dinosaur has come out.”

The venerable doughnut shop, in operation at 4307 Center Point Rd. NE since 1971, has developed a devoted following for its doughnuts, muffins, bismarcks and other pastry fare, as well as its coffee and a deli. But for many, it's also been known as a business that accepted only checks and cash, leading some prospective customers to visit nearby stores to withdraw funds from an automated teller machine.

As of Nov. 1, all that changed.

'We were doing fine with the same old, same old,” Zinkula said. 'I was always trying to keep costs down for my customers.” (Businesses pay a merchant fee, a percentage of each sale, when customers use a credit card as payment.)

However, Zinkula said she finally decided to make the change after requests from customers, employees - and members of her own family.

'It was beneficial to our company,” she said. 'It's just a convenience. A lot of people don't carry cash any more.”

All major credit cards are now accepted, Zinkula said, including MasterCard, Visa, Discover and American Express. She also said she's not planning any price increases to cover the merchant fees.

'I was reluctant financially,” she said. 'But if you can't lick them, you gotta join them.”