A Florida-based donut brand known for hot-pressing ice cream inside its pastries has landed on one of Louisville's busiest commercial strips, and this time it brought arcade games with it. The Hiner family, which already runs a Yonutz franchise in Middletown, has opened a second location in the Highlands at the corner of Bardstown Road and Eastern Parkway, complete with a claw machine setup the store is calling the Clawcade.
The new shop sits in a 3,027-square-foot storefront at 1449 Bardstown Road, Suite 110, according to Yonutz. As reported by WDRB and WAVE 3 News, reporter Keith Kaiser noted the brand has now expanded to another Louisville neighborhood, with the Hiner family — Ben, Amanda, and their son Austin — operating both the Middletown and Highlands stores.
The Hiners' first Louisville outpost sits at 12939 Shelbyville Road in Middletown, positioned in front of a Walmart within a Target shopping center. That original location gave the family its foothold in Jefferson County before they made the jump to the walkable, higher-density Bardstown Road corridor, a shift from suburban parking-lot retail toward foot-traffic-driven urban shopping.
Why This Stretch of Bardstown Road
The intersection of Bardstown Road and Eastern Parkway isn't a random pick. Commercial leasing data cited by Commonwealth Commercial Real Estate shows daily traffic counts exceeding 21,500 vehicles at that corner, with a one-mile population of just over 15,000 residents — the kind of density that tends to attract specialty dessert retailers.
Getting the space ready wasn't cheap. Interior renovations at 1449 Bardstown Road were estimated at $200,000 under a permit submitted by Badgett Constructors, according to permit records reviewed by Nosy Nelly. A separate permit shows Maeser Services Corp. installed $16,630 in commercial HVAC upgrades for the buildout.
The Smashed Donut, Explained
Yonutz's signature item is the Smashed Donut, made by slicing a gourmet doughnut in half, packing it with ice cream, and running it through a specialized press so the outside warms while the inside stays cold, per the Dallas Observer. Beyond that flagship treat, the Highlands menu includes smashed milkshakes, refresher drinks, breakfast sandwiches, and both gourmet big doughnuts and mini doughnuts, according to WDRB and WAVE 3 News.
The brand's dessert credentials go back further than one viral product. Yonutz's Nutella Crunch Smashed Donut won the People's Choice Award for Best Dessert in the Nation at the 2023 Dessert Wars National Championship, following earlier regional Dessert Wars titles the company had taken in Miami and Las Vegas. The Louisville coverage similarly notes the brand has picked up Dessert Wars honors in Miami, Atlanta, and Las Vegas over the years.
Backed by a Shark Tank Name and Millions of Views
Yonutz was started by husband-and-wife team Jenny and Tony Bahu, who are based in Sunrise, Florida, near Fort Lauderdale.
Much of the brand's visibility has been fueled online. Yonutz has used social media to promote its brand. The company's stores also feature branded interior design intended to encourage customer social posts.
Games, Waste-Conscious Deals, and a Second Louisville Foothold
The Highlands store's Clawcade adds arcade-style claw machines to the mix, a pairing of sweets and games meant to keep customers lingering longer, and it fits a broader pattern among fast-casual dessert chains looking to appeal to families and younger crowds. The location has also registered on the Too Good To Go surplus food app, offering $5.99 “Surprise Bags” of leftover baked goods to cut down on end-of-day waste.
Louisville has no shortage of established bakeries, including several long-running Highlands options highlighted in Hoodline's earlier roundup of the city's top bakeries. Whether a national chain leaning on social media buzz and a six-figure buildout can hold its own on a strip already dense with neighborhood dessert spots is the open question hanging over the Hiner family's newest venture.
