Daylight Donuts in Iowa City sold to Donutland

IOWA CITY — A doughnut staple in Iowa City has closed after almost 11 years in business.

Daylight Donuts, 1681 S. First Ave., closed its doors for the last time on Sunday, owners Scott and Vicki Ward announced in a social media post. The shop has been sold to Donutland, according to Little Village, and is scheduled to open March 1.

“We would like to extend a humble thank you to all of our loyal customers these past eleven years,” the Wards said on their now-defunct Facebook page. “It was our privilege that you allowed us to share in your daily lives and special occasions. We have made many close acquaintances and friendships that won’t be forgotten.”

The permanent closure comes after a nine-month closure that started in 2019, when Scott Ward announced the shop would close because its former location at 3560 E. Court St., shared with a gas station, had been sold. They reopened at their current location, the fourth Daylight Donuts in Iowa, on Feb. 27, 2020 — just before the pandemic hit.

“Sometimes you have to leave to find out how much people like you,” Ward told The Gazette in 2020. “When you make those connections with people, sometimes you underestimate the importance of them.”

There are almost 1,000 Daylight Donuts shops in 28 states, all independently owned.

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