A popular gluten-free, Asian-influenced doughnut shop is opening a second location in the InterQuest corridor.

Mochi Thai’m Donuts, which opened its Citadel Crossing store in Colorado Springs in August 2022, planned a late-June opening at the Victory Ridge development, southeast of InterQuest and Voyager parkways, said co-owner Sakeo Williams.

“We’re hoping to reach more customers coming from up north,” said Williams, a Palmer High School alum. “We already get the Denver, Fort Collins and Grand Junction crowd coming down for our doughnuts. This will make it a lot easier for them.”

Williams, who also owns Thai Lily Cuisine and Yakitori 8 south of Platte Avenue and Chelton Road, began rolling doughnuts at that eatery to help bring in more business during the pandemic shutdown.

The treats became such a hit that local business owners Tamara and Greg San Agustin approached Williams with the idea of opening a dedicated doughnut shop.

“They’re a husband-and-wife team, and longtime friends of mine,” she said of the San Agustins.

“They tried the doughnuts at Thai Lily and fell in love with them and came to me with the idea of opening a brick-and mortar shop to be the pioneers of mochi doughnuts in Colorado Springs.”

Normally, gluten-free doughnuts are either of the cake variety, or “baked, not fried,” Williams said.

“But let’s face it — when you want a doughnut, you want a fried one,” she said. “Just because you can’t have a regular doughnut, doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a delicious one.”

The colorful confections, made with glutinous rice flour and Asian-influenced flavors, became hugely popular with celiac patients and other gluten-sensitive consumers. Crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside, they have become the treat of choice for many non-celiac customers as well.

“The celiac community has come out to support us, big-time,” Williams said.

“But our customer base has expanded. People are learning that ‘gluten-free’ doesn’t necessarily mean ‘flavor-free.’”

Even with the success of the Citadel Crossing store, Williams believes there is an untapped market in the Pikes Peak region, and she hopes the new location — at 1856 Democracy Point, near In-N-Out Burger — will help reach a broader audience.

“There are still a lot of people in Colorado Springs who don’t know we exist,” she said. “We’re hoping to change that with the new location.”

Vegan doughnuts, which Williams rolls by hand, will not yet be available at the north side location, she said. Customers wanting vegan confections still will need to order them at the Citadel Crossing store.

“Our long-term goal, hopefully, is to build this into a franchise,” she said.

“We want everyone, around the country, to be able to enjoy these delicious mochi doughnuts.”