A downtown St. Louis favorite is moving to a new, and larger, space just two blocks away.
Pharaoh’s Donuts, owned by Amon Aziz and located at 200 N. Seventh St., is moving to the Paul Brown Building at 202 N. Ninth St. into a space previously occupied by Pita & More. The fast-casual restaurant, which occupied 3,252 square feet on the first floor of the Paul Brown Building, closed its doors at the end of October.
Pharaoh’s, currently in the parking structure attached to the Railway Exchange Building owned by Hudson Holdings, will move to its new digs on Saturday, according to an employee. The shop will be open for business on Saturday. Its new space is owned by Paul Brown Developer LP, tied to BC Agent Services in Kansas City, according to city of St. Louis real estate records.Aziz first started Pharaoh’s Donuts about 25 years ago, according to a story from St. Louis Magazine. The donut shop has opened and closed various storefronts throughout the region, the story said. Aziz opened the downtown location in 2014.
Pharaoh’s menu includes classics such as glazed donuts, glazed twists and vanilla- and chocolate-iced long johns. Other favorites include cinnamon rolls, apple fritters and custard- and strawberry-filled donuts.
An employee at the donut shop previously told the Business Journal that it was looking to move but was having trouble finding the right space. She stated that Pharaoh’s needed a specific kitchen to make its process more efficient.
The Paul Brown Building in downtown was rehabbed in 2005 for $51 million.The building has a total of 17,000 square feet of commercial space, according to the Sansone Group, which worked on the lease of Pharaoh’s new space there. People’s National Bank occupies 5,800 square feet, while 3,340 square feet is still to be leased.
The Railway Exchange Building, next to where Pharaoh’s is currently located, is facing a $300 million renovation. HH St. Louis Railway LP, a subsidiary of Florida-based Hudson Holdings, bought the building in 2017 with plans to turn it into apartments and retail space. However, financing issues and two water main breaks have stalled construction on the project.
