Those with a sweet tooth in Nassau Bay have been lining up since mid-December to get a taste of the town's newest treat spot, Parlor Doughnuts. According to an interview with the Houston Chronicle, the donut shop is drawing crowds with its unique approach to the classic American confection, offering 27 layered flavors and a robust menu that includes 14 specialty brews.
Nestled next to Johnson Space Center, the establishment kicked off with a soft opening in December, as reported by Community Impact. Their made-to-order approach ensures fresh batches of crispy, hole-less donuts that the owner, Baher Maximos, believes stands out even among the burgeoning craft coffee and donut scene. "Our donuts are made to order so we make them in very small batches," Maximos hailed, signaling that this isn't just any donut shop—this is a destination for an elevated, gourmet experience.
Maximos was born in Egypt and migrated to the U.S. when he was 15, finding comfort, and community in donut shops during his college years. Along with his brother Bassem Maximos, a fellow Bay Area-based surgeon, the duo sought to bring something with generational appeal to their community. They seem to have found it with the Indiana-based Parlor Doughnuts chain, which offers not just their signature layered donuts but a spin on traditional jelly- and cream-filled offerings as well.
According to Baher Maximos in a Houston Chronicle interview, the concept is all about pairing comfort with quality. "Coffee and donuts go together, and often if you go to a good donut shop, they might not have a good coffee,, or vice versa," he said. The menu isn't just donuts; it’s a full-fledged morning rendezvous with premium coffee drinks, and breakfast items that make it a perfect spot for family and friends to gather.
Parlor Doughnuts nods to the past while being firmly rooted in the present. Taking its name from the parlor rooms of the 1800s, the establishment aspires to be a welcoming space for visitors to enjoy a taste of American tradition. With American donut culture in mind, Maximos told the Houston Chronicles, "You can go to a lot of different countries and have a burger and a hot dog, but donuts are quintessentially American." Indeed, the new shop at 1850 E. NASA Parkway in Houston is promising to deliver on that American staple: comfort food in the best way.
