Back Door Donuts

Long before customers began waiting up at the back door, 5 Post Office Square held a bakery. Walmsley's Bakery first opened its doors in the summer of 1948 and has been a fixture in the Oak Bluffs community for decades. In the early hours of the morning, Walmsley's was known to drop a donut or two out the back door. In 1971, the White Family, led by patriarch Peter White, bought the bakery and renamed it Old Stone. Peter is thought to be the first to conduct formal sales through the rear door. In those days, there were no hours. Peter and his employees would gladly serve you a donut at 4 a.m. What began as a "insider's" only secret gradually became a must-do for both Vineyard residents and visitors. Back Door Donuts became a tradition as a result. The bakery was sold to Rita Brown and Janice Casey in 2001, who renamed it Martha's Vineyard Gourmet Cafe & Bakery. The new proprietors, like the Whites and Walmsleys before them, baked the majority of their items overnight. Customers would queue in the hundreds as the smell from the kitchen filled the Oak Bluffs commercial district. After 17 years of management, Jan and Rita felt it was time to hand over the reins to a group of local investors in 2018. The Back Door tradition is still alive and well, with the bake team and recipes remaining constant. In season, The Front Bakery Cafe - Home of Back Door Donuts is open everyday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. (after Labor Day, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., closed Tuesdays); backdoor service is available from 7 p.m. through October 14th.