Donut Central and Fuelpresso bring classic donut/coffee combo to Winter Park

Nothing goes together quite like coffee and doughnuts. Just ask the men behind Donut Central and Fuelpresso on the outskirts of Winter Park.

The coffee/doughnut shop located at 495 N. Semoran Blvd. is still in its soft opening phase, but the business already has garnered several loyal regulars. It might have something to do with their wide selection of coffee — from lattes to cold brew — and their array of creative doughnuts, such as maple bacon with an entire strip of bacon on top and s’mores with a toasted marshmallow on top.

The shop came from the creative minds of owner Pino Penev and manager Chris Stoychev.

“We’re following the dream — the coffee passion,” Penev said.

There’s a great attention to detail with every aspect of the shop, from the light, airy from-scratch recipes of the doughnuts to the carefully poured designs of the latte art.

All of their coffee beans are roasted in-house as well.

Even the furniture was hand crafted by Penev, who combined red cedar wood with coffee beans beneath a lacquered surface to create unique tables.

But before all the nuances, taste comes first, Stoychev said.

Penev and Stoychev both come from Bulgaria, a place where espresso coffee is king. The coffee addiction started early for Stoychev, he said.

“I think I started drinking coffee when I was 12 or 13,” Stoychev said. “It’s pretty much been nonstop. It really became a passion during college. I had to keep myself awake sometimes.”

The two coffee fanatics met in New York through a mutual friend about 10 years ago and later on went looking for new coffee houses throughout the city. Ideas started to brew, and eventually, they began talking in 2015 about possibly running a coffee shop of their own.

Penev already had experience running several restaurants and retail stores in the past, but coffee was his first love. To make that a reality though would mean adjusting the concept, he said.

“I’ve always wanted to own a coffee shop, but just a coffee shop wasn’t going to support my family,” Penev said. “Combining it with the doughnuts, that’s a different story.”

All doughnuts — including the frosting and glazes — are made from scratch. It’s all an effort to set themselves apart — to have the very best coffee and doughnuts all in one place, Penev said.

“Combining a doughnut shop and a craft coffeehouse is huge for me,” he said. “If you go to a craft coffeehouse, they’re buying their baked goods from somewhere else, and the freshness is not always the best. If you go to a doughnut shop, the coffee is just low-quality coffee.”

The shop is planning for an official grand opening in about a month. A second location with a drive-thru also is planned. Sandwiches will be coming soon, as well.