Rocket 88 closes doughnut shops in Fountain Square, SoBro

The doughnut shop Rocket 88 closed both its locations—in Fountain Square and in SoBro in the Meridian-Kessler neighborhood—on Monday as its owner focuses on a new venture.

The closings come less than two years after the first location opened at 874 Virginia Ave. in December 2014. A year later, owner Patrick Burtch opened a second location at 4909 N. College Ave.

The shops quickly amassed a loyal following by using organic ingredients in their doughnuts and providing vegan options. 

In a Facebook post, Burtch said he will now be focusing on a new business, Square Cat Vinyl, where “we won’t be serving doughnuts, but we will be serving vinyl records, coffee, and beer.”

“I have the opportunity to participate in an amazing new business venture and can no longer provide the time and energy necessary to keep Rocket 88 up and running,” Burtch said on Facebook. “I want to personally thank all the wonderful customers and employees who have made the last couple years such a great experience.”

Burtch called the doughtnut shops “a crazy learning experience.”

Square Cat Vinyl is to be located at 1054 Virginia Ave. in Fountain Square. The store’s Facebook page says that is on its “final push of construction and hoping to finish soon.”

“We are developing our space not only as retail, but as a place where people gather as a community to share ideas over coffee, beer and mead,” the Facebook post says.

Burtch said in the post at Rocket 88 Doughnuts that “music is my true passion and I couldn't be more excited about the opportunity.”