Bringing Cops and Doughnuts to Another Level

Everyone knows the stereotype, cops love doughnuts. Officer Jess Gilman is embracing this stereotype by operating his own doughnut cart.

Gilman keeps the Costa Mesa community's hunger at bay with his portable doughnut shop that visits sporting events and other local events.

The odd thing about all this is that Gilman isn't that big of a doughnut fan himself. He tells the OC Register that he can't give out a good doughnut shop recommendation when asked, which is one reason he decided to start up his business in the first place.

Gilman got his other inspiration back when he was a kid going to races at the old Ascot Park speedway, the newspaper reported.

"It was a dirt racetrack in Gardena where I first saw this thing, and I fell in love with it," he told the Register. "I like to say that we used to go for the doughnuts and stay for the racing."

Memories of the speedway returned about five years ago when he wanted to earn some extra cash. He opened his business two years later, and has been serving up doughnuts ever since.

"It's more fun than profitable," says Gilman, who donates a portion of proceeds to community groups. "Basically, it's a hobby that's almost paying for itself."

With the ability to make 1,200 ringlets every hour, business is booming for Gilman, especially during halftime of sporting events, where he promises customers that his product will be "the best doughnut you ever had."

Leave Comments