Veri Best Donuts shuts its doors, has hopes of making comeback

A sweet slice of Columbus food culture is now in the history books, with Veri Best Donuts on Macon Road closing its doors over the weekend.

The shop, which says it has been open since 1954, served its final signature doughnuts and cinnamon twists to customers on Saturday, although a gofundme account has been set up to possibly raise enough money to help owner Christopher Granberry and his family relocate to a new space.

“I want to personally thank everyone who made the last day of Veri Best Donuts a awesome success,” Granberry said on Veri Best’s Facebook page. “We are so saddened by the closure of our shop but we could no longer keep this wonderful place going. I personally will miss the smiles I gave people by just making those sweet donuts. Columbus it has been an amazing ride that I hope will not die for good. Pray that a miracle from up above will happen.”

Granberry said construction work near one of the entrances at the shopping center location, anchored by a Winn-Dixie supermarket, had choked off traffic to his business. It put a “tremendous strain” on the store, he said.

The doughnut shop was a staple of morning breakfasts for residents through the years, with some of its fans calling it the best tasting treats in the city. It was located at 4231 Macon Road, in Fountain Park shopping center, across from the spot where it had operated for years as Veri Best Donut Co.

Its Facebook page is littered with people commenting they are in disbelief and sad to see Veri Best go, with some exhorting the owners to find another location and “come back strong,” keeping its doors open and the sugar-laden delicacies coming. There were also some memories.

“The first girl I ever dated in America worked at Veri Best on Macon Road ... she broke my heart. I put on 25 pounds that summer. … Good luck,” said a customer identified as Ian Robert Scobie.

“Noooooo!! I remember going with my parents to the Veri Best Donuts location on the south side of town … best chocolate glazed donuts ever,” said Jessica Myong Luyando.

Granberry called the final day on Saturday “very emotional” and acknowledged others had asked his family about starting a gofundme page to raise cash that would be used to move to another site. It was launched on Friday and by Monday afternoon the account had a total of $775 toward a goal of $13,000.

This story was originally published March 21, 2016 at 1:06 PM with the headline "Veri Best Donuts shuts its doors, has hopes of making comeback."