Auntie Ruth's Doughnuts returns to Apple Festival roots

Auntie Ruth's Doughnuts may have grown into a regional favorite with storefronts and a devoted following, but its roots trace back to the Unicoi County Apple Festival nearly two decades ago.For Ruth and Roman Kauffman, that first weekend frying sourdough doughnuts in Erwin became the spark that shaped their family's future."We had not actually made doughnuts prior to this," said Ruth Kauffman. "The Apple Festival was the very first place we made doughnuts and sold them. It was kind of an idea taken from my sister in Virginia, who did big sourdough doughnuts for a school benefit supper. People just went crazy over them, and I thought, I'm gonna come back and do them at the Apple Festival."She said that debut came in 2006 or 2007. The Kauffmans set up with little experience and no expectations, but the reception was overwhelming, according to Ruth."Of course, the first year we had no idea what we were doing, but it was a huge hit," Ruth said. "That is actually where we technically got the idea that we're gonna start going to farmers markets now too."From there, she said the hobby turned into something much bigger. The family began selling doughnuts and pretzels every Saturday at the Johnson City Farmers Market, later adding Wednesdays as demand grew."It was so crazy," Ruth Kauffman recalled. "We finally were like, well, my husband's gonna have to quit some of his other jobs and just do Wednesday as well, just to try to keep the crowd down."She said operating under tents eventually gave way to food trucks, and at one point, the family managed three at a time."Even though the trailers were way, way easier, you still have to unload and load your supplies when you come home," Ruth said. "Now we have a brick and mortar storefront in Johnson City, one in Limestone and also on the East Tennessee State University campus. We're actually working on another location in Mosheim at my cousin's store."Kauffman said the business was never part of a grand plan. She said Roman worked as a metal roofer before the economy took a downturn in 2008."That's when we kind of decided, let's see what happens at the Apple Festival, let's see what happens at the farmers market," Ruth said. "With no intent of actually making a business out of it. But then, with the slump in the construction market, my husband was just like, 'I love doing these doughnuts, I think I'm just gonna get out of that and we're gonna do this full-time.'"The signature sourdough doughnut remains a family recipe, shared among Ruth's siblings."We all use the very exact same recipe," she said, noting popular flavors include the original vanilla glaze, Bavarian cream and chocolate dipped, alongside pretzels like the salted, cinnamon sugar and the fan-favorite pretzel dog.This year, Auntie Ruth's won't be running its own booth at the Apple Festival, but the family recipe will still be part of the event. Ruth's sister, who lives in Florida and once helped with the earliest festival weekends, will bring her food truck."It's still the same doughnut, same pretzels, same lemonade, everything the same," Ruth said. "Her trailer is gonna have a different logo. It's the Cowabunga Doughnut Company, but it is Auntie Ruth's."Even as the business has grown beyond festivals, Kauffman said the Apple Festival holds a special place for the family."Hands down, it's our favorite festival, maybe it's because we're sentimental," Ruth said. "Because that is where we first started out, our first doughnuts, our first customers. It's just such an amazing event."The Kauffmans may not be frying doughnuts on-site this year, but they will be there supporting family and remembering where it all began."We won't miss it," Ruth said.