Shreveport donut shop forced to close its doors. Says DDA is providing no aid

This article has been updated with additional comments.

It's official, Dripp Donuts has permanently closed. This announcement comes after a sudden closure following building repairs on Feb. 29.

Dripp Donuts took to Facebook Monday morning with a post stating, "It’s LIGHTS OUT at 421 Market."

The post continued by stating that the small business was forced to shut its doors just one day shy of its first anniversary due to the risk caused by the instability of the building.

On March 4, 2023, Dripp Donuts held its brick-and-mortar grand opening after serving up gourmet donuts in a food truck following the pandemic.

Caleb and Michelle King started Dripp Donuts after driving around the West Coast in their RV experiencing different cultures and food during the pandemic.

The couple settled in Caleb's hometown of Shreveport and renovated an RV that became the mobile donut shop of their dreams and an iconic fixture around town.

When the Kings opened Dripp Donuts on Market Street just a year ago they thought it was going to be a downtown fixture. But after a sudden risk of the building collapsing this new brick-and-mortar donut shop was forced to close its doors.

In Dripp Donuts' Facebook post, they stated, "After weeks of tough negotiating, we were able to have most of our equipment removed but were required to leave a lot behind due to the risk the building would collapse. We have made multiple requests to meet with Janie Landry, the director of DSDC (the building owner) and Shreveport DDA, but she has refused to meet and has yet to address our concerns."

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No new home has been confirmed at this time.

Dripp Hot Chicken is still open and is permanently located inside Great Raft at 1251 Dalzell Street.

The Times reached out to Landry for a comment. In an email Landry said that they were advised by legal counsel that communication with the Kings must go through their respective attorneys.

More: Gourmet donuts move from food truck to downtown Shreveport fixture with grand opening

Makenzie Boucher is a reporter with the Shreveport Times. Contact her at mboucher@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: Shreveport donut shop forced to close its doors. Says DDA is providing no aid