Dutch Girl Donuts is doubling down on Detroit. The longtime Woodward Avenue bakery is set to open a second shop in the city’s North End, stepping into the main storefront of a well-known neighborhood building. Owner Paddy Lynch has purchased 2820 E. Grand Blvd., and the new outpost is expected to debut this spring. Photographer Ara Howrani and his family’s studio will remain in the building, while parts of the property will be available for private events.
According to WXYZ, Lynch, who also owns the Dakota Inn Rathskeller and The Schvitz, bought the historic property and plans to install Dutch Girl’s second location in the storefront at 2820 E. Grand Blvd. The station reports that sections of the building will be carved out for private parties and special events, and that exact hours for the North End shop have not yet been announced.
A Familiar North End Storefront
The address at 2820 E. Grand Blvd. has long been known as Howrani Studios, a commercial photography hub first established by Ameen Howrani and later run by his son Ara. As detailed by Model D, the studio and its upper-floor spaces have been part of the neighborhood’s creative fabric for decades, anchoring the building long before any donut trays showed up.
Lynch’s Local Stewardship
Lynch is already a familiar face in Detroit’s small-business scene. He purchased Dutch Girl’s original Woodward Avenue shop from the Timmer family and reopened it in 2024, a comeback that drew long lines from longtime customers. Dutch Girl Donuts reopens captured the neighborhood reaction to that relaunch, which signaled that the classic donut spot was back in business under new ownership.
The North End plan continues Lynch’s pattern of acquiring neighborhood properties and pairing active storefronts with space for events or community gatherings, a model he is already using elsewhere in the city.
What To Expect
The North End shop is slated to open in spring, although Lynch has not released a firm date or set the hours for the new location. Dutch Girl’s Woodward Avenue outpost resumed extended service under his leadership, including a return to round-the-clock hours last year, which suggests the chain may experiment with hours at a second site, per Eater Detroit.
For now, Detroiters watching the corner of E. Grand Blvd. and the North End’s changing streetscape will have to wait for Lynch to announce an official opening date and full details on event rentals. Local outlets are expected to share those updates once they are available.
