“Walking into Old Fashioned Donuts, Leda Edwards knew exactly where she’d find her grandfather — making doughnuts.
“Since 1972, shop owner Burritt Bulloch, 86, has shown up nearly every day to make doughnuts, and he has not only become a fixture in his community, but an inspiration to his family.
“‘My grandfather is the heart of the business, said Edwards, 23. He’s said before, If I stop, then that’s it for me. This is what keeps him going, and it warms my heart that he has this drive. He was just a young guy with a dream when he moved to Chicago and he’s accomplished so much. I’m grateful for his legacy.’
“Burritt Bulloch moved from Mississippi to Chicago in 1963, when he was 23 years old. Shortly after moving to the city, he was hired at a bakery on the North Side — where he learned to make his first batch of doughnuts.
“In 1972, he decided to venture out and open his own shop at 11248 S. Michigan Ave in Roseland.
“His shop has gotten attention from people all around the Chicago area over the years. The shop, known for its hand-cut doughnuts, sells out almost every day, the owner said.
“‘It wasn’t until I got older, is when I realized my father had built something special,’ said Dejuana ‘Michele’ Bulloch, the elder Bulloch’s younger daughter. ‘I’m just so proud of him. My father puts his heart into what he does. Others may use the same ingredients that he does, but if you don’t love what you do, it’ll never taste right.’
“Last summer, they were awarded a $50,000 grant through the national Backing Historic Small Restaurants program, which will allow for much-needed repairs. Renovations are set to begin in mid-June and the shop will remain closed anywhere from four to six months, Michele Bulloch said. (Hernandez, Chicago Sun-Times, 5/26/25)
Old Fashioned Donuts is a Chicago Legacy Business on South Michigan Avenue in Roseland, a 2020 Preservation Chicago 7 Most Endangered. Preservation Chicago is working closely with stakeholders to help recognize and embrace the historic facade of the vintage building.
Read the full story at Chicago Sun-Times
- 86-year-old owner of Old Fashioned Donuts goes viral thanks to granddaughter’s TikTok
- Nearly every day since 1972, Burritt Bulloch has shown up to make doughnuts at Old Fashioned Donuts in Roseland, and he’s become not only a staple in his community — but an inspiration to his family, Cindy Hernandez, Chicago Sun-Times, 5/26/25
- Old Fashioned Donuts, A South Side Institution, Gets $50,000 Grant For Long-Overdue Renovation; The family-owned Roseland shop, which opened in 1972, is the only Chicago recipient of this year’s Backing Historic Small Restaurant grant program from the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Maia McDonald, Block Club Chicago, 8/12/24
- Roseland Michigan Avenue Commercial District, a Preservation Chicago 2020 Most Endangered