MANITOU SPRINGS, Colo.– In this week’s Restaurant Report Card, a little piece of Louisiana sits in Manitou Springs called Rocky Mountain Beignets.
A retired teacher is bringing the Big Easy treats to the Pikes Peak Region, while turning her dream into a reality.
They are pronounced ‘ben-yays’.
“We do find people often who don’t know what a beignet is. They don’t know how to pronounce the word, but they’re curious so they come inside and then they love them,” said Brandi Chism, owner of Rocky Mountain Beignets.
If you’ve been to New Orleans, you may have heard of them.
Chism said, “A beignet is a French doughnut.”
They are perfectly puffed, little pillows in a powdered sugar blanket.
“Well everybody loves doughnuts but these are not as thick. They’re fluffy and a little airier and who doesn’t love powdered sugar,” said Chism.
Now you don’t have travel to the French Quarter to find the real thing.
Chism said, “My husband and I had always dreamed of living here. I was a school teacher for 20 years in Louisiana and I retired and I said, ‘I think it’s time’, so we moved to Colorado.”
Thankfully, they brought a little piece of home with them.
“It took awhile to get the recipe right since we’re at such a high elevation,” said Chism.
Once the recipe was perfected, Rocky Mountain Beignets got its start back in 2019.
Chism said, “Our business started as a food truck in Woodland Park.”
In June, they moved into a brick-and-mortar located at 724 Manitou Avenue, turning beignets into blessings.
“I finally was able to make that dream a reality,” said Chism.
Rocky Mountain Beignets is open Monday through Thursday from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and Friday through Sunday 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.