Cardigan Donuts
Cardigan Donuts is a Minneapolis doughnut shop and coffeehouse known for daily-made doughnuts, specialty flavors, coffee, and service to downtown workers and Skyway users.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Cardigan Donuts is a privately held Minneapolis doughnut shop and coffeehouse founded by Justin Bedford and Jeff Bull. The brand opened its flagship store on May 11, 2017, in a roughly 2,600-square-foot space on the skyway level of the Minneapolis City Center shopping mall. Its location was central to the concept: Bedford had spent his professional career working in Minneapolis's Skyway System and developed the business around the needs of downtown employees, clients, and visitors who use the enclosed network of walkways. The restaurant primarily serves business customers and other people moving through the central business district. The menu combines familiar American bakery products with a rotating specialty program. Its doughnuts are organized into Classic, Premium, and Inspired categories. Classic and Premium items include staples such as raised glazed, raised bar, vanilla cake, French cruller, old-fashioned, and doughnuts filled or topped with house-made fruit jams. Inspired doughnuts are produced in two varieties at a time and rotate approximately twice a week, giving the shop a laboratory-like platform for testing unusual combinations. Flavors reported in connection with the brand include Rainbow Road, which draws on Super Mario Kart imagery through rainbow dough, white chocolate frosting, candied walnuts, and cereal marshmallows; a chicken-and-waffle doughnut topped with crackling chicken skin; and a Red Hot doughnut incorporating Red Hots candy and cinnamon. The original bakery manager, Daniel Rosene, helped test flavor combinations before and around the opening of the first store. Cardigan's broader offering extends beyond doughnuts. The shops sell yogurt bowls, smoothies at the IDS Center location, hot and iced espresso drinks, coffee, tea, kombucha, and other desserts. The second store, opened on June 22, 2022, occupies a smaller storefront in the IDS Center's Crystal Court retail atrium and added an ice cream bar, house-made ice cream, and specialty desserts to the format. A third location in the US Bank Plaza complex opened in October 2025, expanding the brand's presence within downtown Minneapolis. The flagship was designed by Minneapolis architectural firm Smart Associates with a mid-century modern interior, orange accents, and a fireplace. It also includes a conference-room-style area for business meetings and occasional Donut Lab tastings, where customers can provide feedback on experimental flavors. A gift wall features locally made products and clothing associated with the former Greater Goods store. Unsold baked goods are donated to local food banks or the Salvation Army. The business remained open during the COVID-19 pandemic and introduced delivery service, helping maintain its connection with local customers. It did briefly close in 2020 during the period of George Floyd protests near the downtown area. Public reception has emphasized the quality of its classic products as well as the novelty of its Inspired offerings. Coverage has highlighted the French cruller, glazed old-fashioned doughnut, seasonal Rainbow Road, and the shop's place among notable Minneapolis doughnut destinations. In 2023, the Chicago Tribune included Cardigan Donuts among its selection of 40 notable doughnut shops in the United States. The brand remains a locally focused bakery and coffeehouse rather than a national chain.
History
Cardigan Donuts was developed as a Minneapolis-focused doughnut shop and coffeehouse by Justin Bedford and Jeff Bull. The founders announced the concept in January 2017, with the aim of placing a food business directly within the Minneapolis Skyway System. Bedford's experience working in the downtown skyway informed the location strategy and customer focus: the shop was designed for office workers, clients, and other people using the connected downtown walkways. The first Cardigan Donuts store opened on May 11, 2017, in approximately 2,600 square feet on the second, or skyway, level of Minneapolis City Center. The store's menu was structured around three doughnut groupings: Classic, Premium, and Inspired. The first two categories provide recognizable bakery staples, while Inspired varieties are more experimental and rotate twice weekly. Daniel Rosene, the original bakery manager, worked through numerous flavor combinations during the development of the menu. The shop became known for combining traditional products such as raised glazed doughnuts, French crullers, and old-fashioned doughnuts with colorful, playful, or savory creations. The City Center store was designed by Smart Associates and given a mid-century modern character, with orange accents, a fireplace, and a meeting-oriented rear space. Cardigan also used this space for Donut Lab tastings, allowing customers to respond to trial flavors. Its retail offer expanded beyond food through a gift wall carrying locally made goods and apparel associated with the former Greater Goods store. The business also adopted a waste-reduction and community-support practice of donating unsold baked goods to local food banks or the Salvation Army. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Cardigan Donuts continued operating and added delivery. The service helped preserve access to the brand as downtown activity changed. The business did briefly close in 2020 during the period of protests following George Floyd's killing, when activity and conditions around the Minneapolis location were disrupted. Cardigan expanded beyond City Center on June 22, 2022, when it opened a second store in the IDS Center's Crystal Court. The approximately 650-square-foot location occupied a space formerly used by Yogurt Lab. It retained the doughnut menu of the original shop while adding smoothies, house-made ice cream, an ice cream bar, and specialty desserts. The expansion restored a doughnut presence in a downtown retail environment after the closure of Bogart's Doughnuts, a local kiosk that had operated in the area. The brand continued to use its Inspired range for seasonal and event-based experimentation. At the 2022 Minnesota State Fair, it offered a fried pickle fritter and cotton candy cake. Its products received favorable local attention, especially the French cruller, glazed old-fashioned doughnut, and Rainbow Road seasonal offering. In March 2023, the Chicago Tribune included the business in a list of 40 notable doughnut shops in the United States. A third Minneapolis location opened in the US Bank Plaza complex in October 2025. Cardigan Donuts remains a privately held, locally concentrated bakery and beverage business serving downtown Minneapolis.
- 2025
Third location opens at US Bank Plaza
[1]A third Minneapolis location opened in the US Bank Plaza complex in October.
- 2022
Second location opens in the IDS Center
[1]The brand opened a smaller Crystal Court shop on June 22, adding ice cream and specialty desserts to the format.
- 2022
Minnesota State Fair specialty doughnuts
[1]Cardigan presented limited-edition fried pickle fritter and cotton candy cake Inspired doughnuts at the State Fair.
- 2020
Pandemic delivery service introduced
[1]Cardigan continued operating during the COVID-19 pandemic and added delivery, although it briefly closed during nearby protests.
- 2017
Cardigan Donuts concept announced
[1]The founders announced plans for a doughnut and coffeehouse designed for the Minneapolis Skyway System.
- 2017
Flagship opens at Minneapolis City Center
[1]The first Cardigan Donuts store opened on May 11 in a 2,600-square-foot City Center space.
Products and positioning
A locally rooted Minneapolis doughnut and coffeehouse brand combining familiar bakery classics with frequently changing, experimental specialty flavors and convenient downtown Skyway locations.
Doughnuts · 2017
Classic doughnuts
The Classic range consists of familiar daily-made bakery formats, including raised glazed, raised bar, vanilla cake, and other traditional doughnuts. These products anchor the menu and provide dependable options alongside the shop's more experimental offerings.
Doughnuts · 2017
Premium doughnuts
Premium doughnuts add more elaborate toppings, fillings, or finishing treatments to the standard bakery selection. The category includes products using house-made fruit jams and other richer preparations, positioning them between everyday classics and the rotating Inspired range.
Limited and rotating doughnuts · 2017
Inspired doughnuts
Inspired doughnuts are Cardigan's experimental platform. Two varieties are generally available at a time and flavors rotate about twice a week. Examples include the Rainbow Road doughnut with rainbow dough and cereal marshmallows, a chicken-and-waffle doughnut with crackling chicken skin, and a Red Hot doughnut made with Red Hots candy and cinnamon.
Beverages · 2017
Coffee and beverages
Cardigan sells hot and iced espresso beverages, brewed coffee, tea, and kombucha. The beverage program complements the doughnut offer and supports the brand's role as a morning, snack, and meeting destination for downtown workers.
Desserts · 2022
Ice cream and specialty desserts
The IDS Center location expanded the concept with an ice cream bar, house-made ice cream, smoothies, and specialty desserts. These items broaden the brand beyond its core bakery identity and give the smaller downtown location an all-day dessert proposition.
Marketing campaigns
- 2022Minnesota State Fair Inspired Doughnuts
Minnesota, United States
Cardigan used the Minnesota State Fair as a platform for limited-edition Inspired products, including a fried pickle fritter and cotton candy cake.
Outcome. The offerings generated local food-media attention and reinforced the brand's reputation for unusual rotating flavors.
Brand decisions
2025
Open a third Minneapolis locationStrategyBackground
After operating locations at City Center and the IDS Center, Cardigan continued its downtown Minneapolis expansion.
Action taken
The brand opened a third store in the US Bank Plaza complex in October.
2022
Expand into ice cream and specialty dessertsProduct launchBackground
The second location in the IDS Center provided a smaller retail format with an opportunity to broaden the menu.
Action taken
Cardigan added an ice cream bar, house-made ice cream, smoothies, and specialty desserts at the IDS Center store.
Aftermath
The offering extended the brand's use beyond doughnuts and beverages while retaining its core menu.
2020
Add delivery during the COVID-19 pandemicStrategyBackground
The pandemic disrupted normal downtown dining and commuting patterns.
Action taken
Cardigan remained open and introduced a delivery service.
Aftermath
Local coverage credited delivery with helping the business maintain its connection with Minneapolis customers.
2017
Locate the flagship inside the Minneapolis Skyway SystemStrategyBackground
The founders targeted downtown employees, clients, and other Skyway users, drawing on Bedford's professional experience in the system.
Action taken
Cardigan opened its first store on the skyway level of Minneapolis City Center rather than beginning with a conventional street-front site.
Aftermath
The location became the brand's flagship and was associated with downtown business traffic and Minneapolis Skyway culture.
Recent events
- 2025
Cardigan Donuts opens a third Minneapolis location[1]
Product launch
A third location opened in the US Bank Plaza complex, further extending the brand's downtown Minneapolis footprint.
- 2023
Cardigan Donuts is included among notable United States doughnut shops[1]
Other
The Chicago Tribune named Cardigan Donuts among 40 notable doughnut shops in the United States.
- 2022
Cardigan Donuts opens second location in the IDS Center[1]
Product launch
A smaller store opened in the IDS Center's Crystal Court with doughnuts, beverages, smoothies, house-made ice cream, and specialty desserts.
- 2022
Cardigan Donuts offers limited-edition Minnesota State Fair flavors[1]
Campaign · Product launch
The brand featured Inspired doughnuts including a fried pickle fritter and a cotton candy cake during the Minnesota State Fair.
- 2020
Cardigan Donuts remains open during the COVID-19 pandemic and adds delivery[1]
Other
The business continued operating during the pandemic and introduced delivery service, while briefly closing during nearby George Floyd protests.
- 2017
Cardigan Donuts announces Minneapolis City Center opening[1]
Other
The doughnut and coffeehouse concept was announced for the Minneapolis Skyway System before opening its flagship store in City Center in May.
Sources1 sources
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