1936 2
Mayflower Doughnuts was the first doughnut chain in the U.S., founded in New York in 1931. Eventually there were 24 shops across the country; the one in Oakland opened in 1936 at 1317 Broadway.
The chain was started by Adolph Levitt in 1931 in New York City. He used the optimist's creed:
"As you ramble on through life, brother,
Whatever be your goal,
Keep your eye upon the doughnut,
And not upon the hole."
The company became the Mayflower Doughnut Corporation, and later a subsidiary of the Doughnut Corporation of America. (See also Roy Mauvais.)
The shop in Oakland opened with much fanfare on August 27, 1936 as the Langendorf Mayflower Doughnut Shop. (Langendorf Bakeries was a Bay Area company founded in 1895 in San Francisco; it's unknown what the connection with the doughnut shop was and how long it lasted.)
The full page spread in the Tribune listed some of the businesses involved in the opening, including the Electrical Products Corporation and Golden State Company dairy. An exterior photo of the shop shows a stylish oval window that bends around a curved wall to the entrance. 2 Mayor William McCracken even spoke at the opening. 1
The shop also included a menu of breakfast and lunch items, and featured Maxwell House Coffee. An ad inviting people to visit noted that the doughnuts were also available at grocery stores. 2
1936 1
1936 ad 
1936 ad
1936 ad
193XXX ad
1936 ad
E.F. Joseph photo 3
It's unknown when the Oakland shop on Broadway closed. There are newspaper references and directory listings for it as late as 1949.
Links and References
- Grand Opening! Oakland Tribune August 26, 1936
- An Invitation Oakland Post Enquirer August 31, 1936
- MS126_708 E.F. Joseph Photograph Collection, African American Museum and Library at Oakland
- Mayflower Doughnut Corporation Restaurant Ware Collectors Network
- "Time to sell the doughnuts" Restaurant-ing Through History
- New Doughnut Shop For Oakland Trade Oakland Post Enquirer August 26, 1936
