If you’ve heard of San Luis Obispo I hope you’ve also heard of SloDoCo. This legendary 24/7 donut shop holds a special place in the minds, hearts, and tummies of SLO residents and travelers- with enough choices of consistently freshly made donuts no matter the time of day to astonish Homer Simpson.
Founders Jacob and Jessie Pickering originally met each other in a donut shop turned their love into successfully fulfilling their dream of opening up their own donut shop (how literally SWEET!). With the help of Cal Poly engineers to maximize the space for studying (Think “free WiFi and power outlets!!”) and socializing (the shop has plenty of games to test your competitive edge with while you power through the sugar rush), they opened up SloDoCo in 2010.
SloDoCo is especially unique because each donut is made with love. Its staff is constantly brainstorming / creating new donut types inspired by anything and everything from the season, random holidays (April 20 is a crowd favorite) or in tribute to the local university- Cal Poly. The shop also features a variety of yummy vegan and gluten free donuts so that everyone can enjoy the sugary goodness.
The “eggnog” flavored donut was a favorite of mine during the holiday season. I bought my dad a lemon donut topped with yellow marshmallow peeps on Easter Sunday- and on St. Patrick’s Day, every single donut is dyed green for the whole day (no joke!). On 4/20 the shop celebrates in a special kind of way.
My favorite SloDoCo creation was the creative twist on a “donut-waffle” hybrid the shop created in 2016. I liked the idea so much, I turned it into the cake I blew out the candles on at my 20th birthday party.
SloDoCo’s business has continued to grow steadily in the years that I’ve been at Cal Poly. There’s a stage for open mic nights and music performances which provides up-and-coming musicians a place to showcase their talent.
The warm atmosphere and posutive vibes when you walk through the door makes you feel like you’re home (and it smells like heaven). It’s a space you can relax in and enjoy a cup of coffee/tea and munch on some of the most creatively decorated donuts which also taste out of this world- any time of day or night… (yes, even at 4am).
Make a trip to this welcoming donut wonderland and grab a “milk and cookies pillow,” “thai tea,” “matcha,” “lavender,” or just one of everything- because once you take that first bite of any of their fluffy, fresh baked creations you’ll be eternally hooked.
For roughly $1-$3 a donut your taste buds will be transported out of this world…
SloDoCo is located at 793 Foothill Blvd in San Luis Obispo in suite F, open 24 hours a day 7 days a week (excluding select holidays).
But trust me, you won’t have to worry about finding the place- because right away you’ll see the line of people out the door and smell the sweetness from a mile away 😉
Follow Metropolitan Molly updates by subscribing to my newsletter, website and on social media below:
Interested in nominating someone with a stellar story for the COVID Chronicles? Submit them, here.