Meet Mandy Wright, owner of Midway’s, Judy’s Donuts, as she tells a story of family more than she does of baked goods or the smell of freshly ground espresso. Mandy loves her mother, Judy Mantlo, like an unstoppable force, and for years desired to honor her in a public way. In 2016, she decided to renovate an old Midway house on Main Street and turn it into a shop, although she was not entirely sure what she would sell. Whatever it was, it had to embody Judy, who also had a prolific sweet-tooth.
Mandy radiates love through her smile. She is the kind of lady who can take a heavy thing and give you a laugh about it. She speaks younger than some of her peers and takes great care in hugs. If this feels like it doesn’t do justice introducing Mandy, it’s likely because she has been around long enough to know just about everyone.
Judy is her own story. And not a lot of people around Heber Valley knew her. When Judy would get excited, she would do a little jittery dance and exclaim “these are all of my favorites!” In the beginning, Judy’s Donuts was going to be something different: “All My Favorites.” Mandy reminisced on how much her mother loved community, her family, and something sweet to eat; how she possessed a creative prowess and motivation to see an idea through. She was known for creating with ingredients that were forgotten, old, and dispossessed. However, the story is incomplete without mentioning that she was raised with a candy shop in the family.
Inside Judy’s Donuts, a few photos and a memento tell stories of a different time and place. Brigham City was home growing up. Opening in 1921, Idle Isle Candy was a huge part of Mandy’s childhood. It was also the formative ground that shaped Judy’s life.
“My grandpa sold ice cream out of a wagon before he got into candy,” Mandy reminisced. “They also had sleeping porches back then so they could sleep outside during summertime. My mom remembered watching people with flashlights going back and forth in the raspberry fields, and thinking, ‘Well, they’re stealing our raspberries.’” Mandy laughed as she recalled the story.
The Idle Isle survived World War II and the Great Depression. Always a mainstay in the community, and still in business, it holds the title as the “oldest operating restaurant in Utah.”
Mandy shared, “Mom would practice the piano downstairs at the Idle Isle in the bowling alley and she would practice upstairs in the dining area. They didn’t have a piano at home,” She chuckled before saying, “Mom wasn’t very good [at piano]. It was fine dining.” As the story went on, it was clear that Judy was a bold lady, even as a young girl.
Mandy continued down memory lane and shared how she and her friends would run around in sandals and drink from hoses. They’d be out all day and then she would finally go home when everyone else had to go in for the night. She’s been living that truth much of her life. Following excitement, having fun, even when she was occupied being an adult.
Like her mother, Judy, Mandy also has a knack for taking the old and dispossessed and artistically renewing it. Judy’s Donuts is one of Mandy’s expressions. It breathes rejuvenation and purpose, as much as it breathes sweets, family, and community.
During the renovation of the old Midway home, ideas of opening a donut shop began to percolate. Excavators dug through pot-rock to install public water and sewer main lines—not an easy chore by any means, and she took a deep dive into her personal relationships and her community. Mandy shared, “The construction process was deeply enriching to my own well-being.”
Mandy is very open about her love for home restorations. The idea of renovating is giving the past a more profound voice in the present, something difficult to do in today’s rampantly distracted culture. And “Donuts would bring the place to life,” she concluded.
The café bar and tables in Judy’s Donuts are made from polished, reclaimed rafters of the house’s older structure. An old bike supports the condiment bar. Antique framed, sepia tone pictures of relatives adorn the dining area, the café’s other elements tell of a time when things were a bit simpler.
The coffee and ordering bar are wrapped in honeycomb-cut tiles. Beehives are familiar to Utah culture; however, this visual tribute represents Judy’s part in the Box Elder Bees, the team brand of Brigham City’s Box Elder High School. Memories fill the cracks of times gone by. Mandy loves to take aging characteristics and make them timeless. She has mastered it the way her mother did as the finished renovations whisper to Judy’s passions and character.
Mandy’s childhood memories are always front and center, and in honor of her grandfather selling ice cream, Mandy recently purchased Fill’r Up’s former ice cream machine. Ice cream and donuts and coffee. Oh and “We have breakfast burrito’s too,” Mandy exclaimed. While there is no official timestamp on ice-cream production, it is bound to be yummy.
Heber Valley may have rumors that Judy’s Donuts doughnuts are the same as those found at Chevron in Kamas, especially the humungous apple fritters. Call them donut myths. When it comes to the apple fritters, Judy’s apple fritter is a proprietary blend of delicious ingredients. Whatever the recipe, it works. The donuts and fritters are delicious, and unique. If ice cream is on the way, we have high expectations.
Judy’s Donuts has been successful in fostering community. It’s something that Judy would love. People aren’t just coming for the donuts. You see, Judy’s Donuts couldn’t be in one of the many commercial rental spaces. It had to be a place showcasing, subtly and brightly, everything about Judy.
More Information:
231 E Main, Midway
judysdonuts.com | @judys.donuts
Photo courtesy of Eric Ramirez
