A year ago, Klay Welter and Trevan Sparboe would wake up early in the morning and start baking donuts out of their own homes. Now, they own a business called Proof Donuts that sells out of its product daily.
“Yeah, Trevan was kind of like coming over and helping me for fun, and then he was like ‘this is great. I think we should really try and chase after this,’” Welter said.
The duo found a location that could house the business on 24th street in Billings. The building gives them a chance to conduct their business, but also the opportunity to reflect on where they were last year.
“There are a lot of days we look back to when we were making donuts in the kitchen at home, and those are times I’ll never forget. It was a lot of fun,” Sparboe said.
Every morning at 4 am you can find Sparboe and Welter at their establishment cutting, frying, and decorating their delicacies. As owners, Welter said they want to be involved in the process from beginning to end.
“It’s different as a business owner and stuff like that to get into a business and be one of the main people who make it operate,” Welter said. “This is more than a business I think. First, it turned into a hobby, then an idea, and it had all these development stages.”
But it isn't always easy. Baking these donuts can be tricky, especially in an unpredictable climate like Montana's. Sparboe said that the temperature and humidity outside actually affects the process of making these donuts inside.
“There are some things that we know we need to change. Like if it’s rainy or a little snowy outside we know our proof is going to be a little bit different,” Sparboe said.
Fortunately, Welter and Sparboe grew up in Lockwood, just outside of Billings. In fact, the co-owners have been best friends since kindergarten.
“I think that it would be a lot different if we weren’t from here to try and do these donuts every day and to try and deal with the climate,” Welter said.
Now, life-long friends are bringing sweet treats to the community they grew up in.
“We’re getting busier all the time and it’s a lot of fun and I’m very thankful for all of that. My cup is super full with gratitude for sure,” Welter said.
