Bringing sweet dreams to Bluffton: Parlor Doughnuts set to open in Okatie Village

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By Kat Rice

Contributor

Lee and Amanda Hicks moved their family from Georgia to Bluffton last year with a dream to start a business in this growing area. After visiting Beaufort several times and talking with Parlor Doughnuts, they decided to bring the famous donut shop to the Lowcountry.

Although it was a journey to find the perfect location for their first store, the Hicks’ finally secured a spot in the new strip mall on Okatie Village Drive, which should be completed sometime next year. Hicks says his visits to the area have proved a sense of community within the schools and churches that his family was excited to be part of. And they were drawn to Parlor Doughnuts because “it’s a great brand with a great product.”

But Hicks also has nostalgic connections to the brand, which he discovered with his family on vacation at Pawleys Island, S.C. He explains, “since I was a little boy, my family and I always went to Pawleys Island during the summers and, when we had our kids, we kept it going.” Several years ago, when he and his family were visiting the island, they stumbled onto Parlor Doughnuts, which happened to be the first in South Carolina.

The good food and relaxed atmosphere felt like home to him, and he learned that the Bluffton area was one of the last South Carolina territories untouched by the brand. Lee and Amanda jumped at the opportunity to open the 59th location for Parlor, which has spread over coastal communities, across the Midwest, and even into Texas since its opening in 2019.

If you’ve never been to one, Parlor is famous for its donuts, which are baked in-house each morning and in small batches throughout the day, then are served hot and fresh. Instead of traditional cake or yeast donuts, the large, gourmet donuts have a buttery inside with a flakey outside and are finished off with interesting combinations of glazes and toppings.

There’s also a large offering of breakfast and lunch items with everything from bowls to breakfast tacos, biscuits and coffees. The Okatie location will be open seven days a week to serve breakfast and lunch. Hicks says they’re excited to be part of this community and to see how much they can grow and invest in this area.

Be on the lookout for opening day at Parlor. You can follow their socials for updates at facebook.com/okatieparlor and instagram.com/okatieparlor.