"We decided to give ourselves a shot and see if we could be business owners and decided Phoenix was the best home since this is where we have our community," Williscroft says.
From the beginning, Williscroft also had a location in mind.
"I know where I wanted to take root, which was Ninth Street and Camelback because I was a consumer of the plaza of some of the different tenants," she says. The shop is a reflection of the doughnuts being served, with pastel pink tiles and bright neon decor. The vibe is casual, chill, and welcoming.
MochiDot Donuts will open on Camelback Road this Saturday, March 25.
MochiDot Donuts
"We've no food or business experience outside of our corporate jobs, but my sister and I decided to research opportunities ourselves," she says.
Although they had several options for franchising a more established mochi doughnut business, they decided to do their own research and create their own brand. This allowed Williscroft and Lee full control of how they wanted their products and shop to be represented. That freedom, along with wanting to bring a unique item to Phoenix, pushed them toward opening MochiDot Donuts.
"The doughnuts aren't necessarily a breakfast item," Williscroft says. "It is more of a snack food item."
The treats are made with a rice flour base and are a marriage of the traditional Japanese rice cake mochi and a classic fried doughnut. Mochi has a texture that isn't too dense or sticky, but is lightly sweet. The doughnuts come in the shape of eight interconnected dough balls and contain a blend of fried mochi, glaze, and different toppings.
"When you go to fry the doughnut, there is this crisp exterior and a light, chewy interior, so the texture is different. It is cool when you pull apart the doughnut and the way that it is shaped you can actually see the stretch from the mochi flour visibly represented," Williscroft says.
The treats are made with a rice flour base and are a marriage of the traditional Japanese rice cake mochi and a classic fried doughnut. Mochi has a texture that isn't too dense or sticky, but is lightly sweet. The doughnuts come in the shape of eight interconnected dough balls and contain a blend of fried mochi, glaze, and different toppings.
"When you go to fry the doughnut, there is this crisp exterior and a light, chewy interior, so the texture is different. It is cool when you pull apart the doughnut and the way that it is shaped you can actually see the stretch from the mochi flour visibly represented," Williscroft says.
MochiDot Donuts will host its grand opening on Saturday, March 25, at 11 a.m. and after that, plans to be open Tuesday through Sunday from 11:00 a.m. to 7 p.m. or until the doughnuts sell out.
For the opening lineup, MochiDot will feature different flavors including PB & J, Cocoa Crunch, Maple Butter with Pecans, and Strawberry Pocky.
The sisters will also have more traditional Asian-inspired flavors like Ube, which has a nutty vanilla taste, and Injeolmi, a peanut butter flavor with a slight sweetness, to reflect their Korean- American heritage, as well as their spouses' Japanese- American and Filipino cultures.
The menu will rotate every month and Williscroft emphasizes that the doughnuts and icing are homemade. Catering is available and eventually, beverages will be added to the menu. Doughnuts will be priced at $3 individually, $2.75 each when customers order a half-dozen, and $2.50 for a full dozen.
While Williscroft is excited to bring something new to her hometown area, she also plans to highlight that community by showcasing other local businesses and artists. At MochiDot, framed prints of desert landscapes from Scottsdale-based photographer, Leah Hope will be on sale. Also, Phoenix-based candlemaker Janelle Yoder will sell her hand-poured Ellery Mae candles in the store.
"We want to become a bit of a legacy and plant our vision in Phoenix and in doing so, we want to offer an elevated experience, elevated product, and an elevated service," Williscroft says.
MochiDot Donuts
914 East Camelback Road, #4Amochidot.com
