Far more than a baker's dozen flocked to social media to complain about their less than sugarcoated experience at Saturday's Twin Cities Donut Crawl.
The second annual event, which ran from 9 a.m. to noon in St. Paul's Mears Park, promptly outraged some attendees who spent $35 or more per ticket to get a "full donut" from eight specialty shops, unlimited coffee and a T-shirt. Doughnut lovers braved the morning rain to get their dose of doughy goodness, but many said they left unhappy after battling long lines — some wait times reportedly reached 90 minutes per stand — and criticized what they saw as overall poor planning.
In response to the anything-but-sweet postings on the event's Facebook page, organizers released a statement:
"A huge thank you (and apology) to those who showed up today and battled long lines and crowds. We hear your feedback and know we have work to do to make it a better experience!"
Some of the event's proceeds went to benefit Second Harvest Heartland food bank. That factor softened some criticism, as a few social media postings pointed out that the long waits were at least for a good cause.
Last year, the event was a traditional crawl format with ticket holders attending individual doughnut shops, organizers explained online. But this year they opted to centralize the operation for what they thought would be easier access for people.
Instead, guests argued, the venue was not large enough to accommodate the 3,800 attendees, and hordes of people left after receiving only one or two of their already purchased treats.
Organizers said they might revert to the traditional crawl format for next year.
