Dutch Girl Donuts Opens a Detroit Second Location on East Grand Boulevard

October 07, 2026By Mark ZawaidehCommunity Development

Dutch Girl Donuts is now open at a second Detroit location on East Grand Boulevard, starting this Tuesday. The original Woodward Avenue shop at 7 Mile closed in 2021, reopened under new ownership in 2024, and has now grown enough to add an offshoot closer to downtown.

What the Dutch Girl Donuts Detroit Second Location Actually Represents

New owner Paddy Lynch, who also owns The Schvitz bathhouse and the Dakota Inn Rathskeller, has quietly been collecting Detroit institutions worth saving. That pattern matters. When an owner with that track record commits capital to a second location on a specific corridor, it reflects a real read on where foot traffic and neighborhood momentum are heading.

Dutch Girl has been around for roughly 80 years. Businesses like that carry name recognition that advertising can't buy. The East Grand Boulevard location pulls that recognition closer to the city's core and puts it in front of a different set of daily visitors, residents, and workers.

For context on why legacy business activity draws attention from people watching Detroit corridors, Axios Detroit has been tracking this expansion and other commercial activity shaping the city's neighborhoods.

What Investors and Homeowners Near Detroit Should Notice

Commercial investment and residential real estate don't move independently. When businesses with loyal, established customer bases open new locations on a corridor, they pull repeat foot traffic. That foot traffic supports surrounding retail, attracts other operators, and raises the visibility of the blocks around it.

That doesn't mean one donut shop changes a neighborhood overnight. What it does mean is that the East Grand Boulevard corridor is drawing the kind of operator who has already proven a willingness to invest in Detroit for the long run. That's a different signal than a pop-up or a first-time venture.

If you own property in Detroit or the surrounding communities and have been watching corridor activity as part of how you think about your home's value, this is the kind of data point worth tracking. Find out what your home is worth →

Residents in communities across Metro Detroit, including those in Novi, often look at Detroit's commercial corridors as a barometer for broader regional confidence. When the city's own legacy businesses grow, it tends to reinforce that read.

What This Means For You

• Dutch Girl Donuts now has two Detroit locations, with the new one on East Grand Boulevard serving areas closer to downtown.

• Owner Paddy Lynch has a pattern of investing in Detroit institutions, which gives this expansion more weight than a typical new opening.

• Legacy business expansions draw repeat foot traffic, which supports surrounding commercial and residential blocks.

• If you own property near active Detroit corridors, commercial momentum like this is worth factoring into how you think about long-term value.

Detroit is not short on big announcements. What stands out here is that an 80-year-old donut shop, under ownership that clearly believes in the city, now has a second address. That's a quieter signal than a stadium deal or a major development, but for the blocks around East Grand Boulevard, it's a real one.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is the Dutch Girl Donuts Detroit second location?

The new Dutch Girl Donuts location is on East Grand Boulevard in Detroit. The original location is on Woodward Avenue at 7 Mile, which reopened in 2024 after closing in 2021.

Who owns Dutch Girl Donuts now?

Paddy Lynch purchased Dutch Girl Donuts as part of the 2024 reopening. Lynch also owns The Schvitz bathhouse and the Dakota Inn Rathskeller, two other Detroit establishments with long histories in the city.

Does a business expansion like this affect nearby home values?

A single business opening does not directly change home values, but repeated commercial investment on a corridor contributes to foot traffic and neighborhood activity that appraisers and buyers pay attention to over time. If you want a current read on what your property is worth, Find out what your home is worth →

Source: axios.com