Duffeyroll Café started out as a spontaneous idea and has become a phenomenon over time as a result of hard work.
Photo by Rebecca Holt
In 1986 Nick Ault was working his usual shift as the bartender at a local bar when an unusual incident occurred.
Jim Duffey entered the bar and struck up a conversation with Nick. The two strangers talked for hours, immersed in Duffey’s idea to introduce a new cinnamon roll to Denver. Duffey was working as an oilman and was looking for some change, tempting himself to pursue something new. Ault was a young man and, caught up in the spontaneous moment, he was ready to partner up with Duffey and bring the idea to reality. After some further planning and with an old Wisconsin recipé in hand, the duo rented a couple of pushcarts and a kitchen from a catering business.
On May 4, 1986 the 16th street mall in downtown Denver saw its first vendors. Two pushcarts were all it took to hold one size of the original small cinnamon rolls. By the time November arrived, the pair was ready to expand, and opened the Duffeyroll Café at 4994 E. Hampden Avenue. However, the business was not making enough money and was on the verge of bankruptcy. On May 4, 1987, One year after starting the business, Ault and Duffey came to a compromise where Ault would buy Duffey out of the business and change the course on which the café was heading.
Ault was diving head first into the project blinded; he had no experience or knowledge about running a business, but was ready to take the steps towards learning how to make his business a successful one. For years Ault continued to work hard through the struggles and challenges one runs into when starting a business. Ault began to make changes such as getting rid of the pushcarts and, after about five years, Ault finally figured out what would help his business thrive: he found a beneficial formula of cost, sales, marketing and managing that helped Duffey’s become what it is today, a flourishing business.
The night Ault bought Duffey out of the business, there was a celebration. “We stayed up until sunrise, inspired to make a glaze for our pastries. With some Grand Marnier we mixed some ingredients and created the zesty orange glaze, but over the years we took the booze out of the zesty orange flavor,” said Ault. One late night was all it took for Ault to enhance the cinnamon rolls with a glaze, giving the café the label of first French pastry cinnamon rolls to have signature glaze toppings.
Similar to how the orange glaze was created, the newest glaze, English Toffee, was also produced on the spur of the moment. Carl Strobe is the creator of the Pillsbury Dough Boy and Duffeyrolls’ mascot Duffey, and has become good friends with Ault. “Carl was visiting in town which aroused the idea to make a new glaze. We grabbed $20 and headed over to 7 Eleven. We bought a Hershey and Skor bar and added them to the maple glaze.” Ault tasted the new flavor, which infused his taste buds with what became his favorite glaze on a cinnamon roll. “It was delicious!” said Ault.
Over time, not only has Duffey’s expanded its list of glazes, but has diversified its menu, as well. A lunch menu has been added to compliment the variety of breakfast treats offered at the café. Sandwiches, wraps, soups, and salads accompany the collection of cinnamon rolls, muffins, and other baked goods. “When I first went into the Duffeyroll Café, I didn’t know what to expect. I was used to doughy cinnamon rolls, but the flakiness of the roll was somewhat deceiving, hiding the cinnamon gooeyness found in the center. I would recommend the Irish Cream to anybody, any day,” said Nicole Brown, who is a junior at TJ.
There are currently two Duffeyroll Cafés in Denver located at 4994 E. Hampden Avenue, and 1290 S. Pearl St. Within the month there will be a new location off of Belleview and Broadway. Recently the Café has started the Duffeyroll “Gift Box.” This gives people the option to send Duffeyrolls to someone instead of the usual flowers or chocolates. The Café will continue to amplify its existence, and Ault says he hopes to soon expand to Chicago and become a national brand. Many have become familiar with the cinnamon rolls through the fundraising done with the café here at TJ.
Bored with your usual lunch outings, Spartans? Change it up and head over to the Duffeyroll Café for a sweet treat after EXCEL or for an indulgent meal during lunch. The café is in walking distance from TJ, found in the Happy Canyon Shopping Center in between Safeway and Burger King. “Duffey’s has one-of-a-kind flavors that always hit the spot,” said TJ student Marelle Davey. Their irresistible cinnamon rolls will have your taste buds popping, pulling you back for more.
