Boggie Otgonbayar and Johnny Chen are putting a lot of love into their doughnuts

When Boggie Otgonbayar and her husband, Johnny Chen, had the chance to purchase Mr. D’s Donut Shop from Johnny’s godparents in October 2018, they jumped on the opportunity to take over Shawnee’s classic doughnut shop on 75th street. Otgonbayar and Chen knew they could bring a fresh approach—and would need to, since they had no experience making doughnuts. With Otgonbayar’s degree in business administration from KU and the couple’s collective restaurant experience, they were confident they could master the learning curve. Three years later, they’ve grown a cult following and are making Mr. D’s their own. 

What inspired you to buy a doughnut shop when you’d never made doughnuts before? The previous owners guided us through the whole process and taught us everything. We both have a strong entrepreneurial spirit, and both of our families have owned and operated restaurants before, so it just felt right.  

What does your day-to-day look like? On weekdays, we usually start around 1 am and finish around 1 or 2 pm. On weekends, we usually start around 11 pm or midnight and then finish around 2 or 3 pm. We’re naturally very hard-working people. My work ethic probably came from my parents. I always admired their work ethic growing up. So to me, it made sense to work hard for myself. I get out of bed every day for my customers and for myself. I have a responsibility to provide the best possible products to our customers and run our business successfully.

You recently expanded and opened a second location in the Lenexa Public Market. Can you tell me a little bit about the new space? We have a lot of customers from that area, so we decided to do some pop-ups inside of the Lenexa Public Market this past January to test the water. We were very pleased with the results, so we decided to pull the trigger. Just right before we were about to submit our proposal to the Lenexa Public Market, Isaac Hodges from Fairwave called and asked if we were interested in taking over the Roasterie spot. It’s been a great collaboration.

What’s your most popular option, and what’s your craziest flavor? The honey-dip, made with real honey, is one of our most popular doughnuts. The pineapple fritter with pina colada glaze might be the craziest.

KC favorites

Coffee Crawl: “Messenger Cafe is our official partner. We love that ​​while they offer great quality coffee, they are also taking care of the farmers who produced the beans. Oddly Correct is another favorite. Super friendly staff and a front-runner coffee shop that is pursuing more environmentally sustainable practices in their cafe and roasting operations. And Cafe Cà Phê, KC’s first Vietnamese coffee house… Enough said!”

Breakfast Burritos: “Red Kitchen is one of the best breakfast burrito spots in KC. They serve burritos for breakfast with tortillas from Caramelo of Lawrence, eggs, potato, cheese and tomatillo sauce. You can also add chorizo, sausage or bacon.” 

Vietnamese for Lunch: “If you like Vietnamese food or just some good Asian food in general, you can’t go wrong with Vietnam Cafe.”

Something Sweet: “If you like a unique ice cream experience, you have to try Ice Cream Bae. Their ‘swirl machine’ also allows customers to create their own flavors by mixing in various sweets, cereals and fruit.”