PRESS RELEASE
City of Porterville
291 N. Main Street
Porterville, CA 93257
www.ci.porterville.ca.us/newslist.php
For more information contact:
Yuriko Velarde, Administrative Analyst
yvelarde@ci.porterville.ca.us
October 18, 2023
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Hergesheimer’s Donut Factory - A City of Porterville Outstanding Business Honoree
Porterville, CA – October 18, 2023
The City of Porterville announced Hergesheimer’s Donut Factory as an Outstanding Business Honoree at the City Council meeting on October 17, 2023. There are three (3) yearly Outstanding Business recognitions made by the City of Porterville, with this being the final recognition in 2023. All three recipients will be further highlighted at the City of Porterville’s State of the City Address in December of 2023.
More than 45 Years of Donut Excellence
Hergesheimer’s Donut Factory has been a small business community staple since 1975. The donut shop was established by Bobby Joe Hergesheimer and his two brothers, Carl and Jim, and has been owned and operated by Amanda Yan and her family for almost 20 years. Located at Porterville Plaza, a shopping center near an intersection with State Route 65 that draws upwards of 27,000 in daily traffic, Hergesheimer’s continues to serve the public with a gathering place where patrons continue to form bonds over coffee and handcrafted, fresh high-quality donuts, just as they did more than forty years ago when the shop first opened its doors.
Building On A Local Favorite
In 2006, Amanda Yan and her family saw potential in Porterville and made the decision to purchase Hergesheimer’s Donut Factory to operate it as a family business. Moving from Long Beach, Amanda says it was the City’s growth that attracted her and her family to make the move to Porterville. She says they could see Porterville would bring great business opportunities and provide a peaceful place to raise a family. Amanda and her mother, Chanel Yan, wake up at 1 a.m. to begin crafting the establishment’s signature donuts. Every day, the donut shop bakes up to three hundred pastries and many more when catering events. Throughout the years, other menu items have been introduced, such as breakfast sandwiches, freshly baked croissants, pastries, boba drinks, smoothies, and coffee. The one constant is the beloved Hergie’s Donut special, a dozen donut box featuring, old-fashioned, raised, and cake donuts, paying tribute to the Hergesheimer long-standing baking tradition. Amanda and family have continued to preserve the business’s identity as a well-known quality local donut shop. Hergesheimer’s interior has a cheerful atmosphere featuring hand-painted murals and a growing photo collection of patrons.
Community Engagement
The Hergesheimer’s Donut Factory team actively participates in community outreach, supporting various local fundraisers. Amanda leads the way in ensuring the business contributes to causes such as local cancer care and child abuse prevention through her membership in the Porterville Breakfast Rotary Club, the Porterville Exchange Club and the Porterville Chamber. Amanda is often joined by her children and her mother in attending important local events to show the business’s support for local causes.
The Recipe for Success
Amanda and her family’s dedication to producing fresh, quality baked goods and providing people-focused customer service has made Hergesheimer’s Donut Factory a local business success. “Business is about people,” says Amanda. She fondly reflects on the quality ingredients utilized at Hergesheimer’s but points out that the most special ingredient she and her family pour into every product is love. A sense of love and commitment to the community has led Amanda to dedicate much of her time to building relationships with community members and giving back by interacting with other businesses, community organizations and local non-profits. Hergesheimer’s Donut Factory is a member of the Porterville Chamber and the Tulare Kings Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. In 2022, the Tulare County Board of Supervisors recognized Hergesheimer’s Donut Factory as Small Business of the Year for District 5, and the Porterville Chamber recognized the business as a Small Business of the Year Nominee. That same year, Amanda expanded business operations by launching Amanda Hergesheimer’s La Tienda Market in nearby Strathmore, offering donuts, sandwiches, and boba drinks in addition to grocery staples. Amanda is also reopening Amanda’s Express Donuts & Food, a drive-up location across from Hergesheimer’s Donut Factory offering hot dogs, Frito boats and sandwiches in addition to Hergesheimer’s donuts.
Local Recognition
For its dedication to the Porterville community for more than 45 years, the City of Porterville recognizes Hergesheimer’s Donut Factory as an Outstanding Business Honoree. The commitment of Amanda Yan and her family to providing fresh and delicious treats to Hergesheimer’s patrons contributes to the local business community’s unique charm, strengthening the Porterville area’s economic vitality.
Learn More
For more information about the City of Porterville’s Outstanding Business Recognition Program, please visit www.ci.porterville.ca.us/departments/economic_development/outstanding_businesses.php. For questions regarding the program, please contact the City of Porterville’s Economic Development Division by emailing EcDev@ci.porterville.ca.us or calling (559) 782-7460. To learn more about Hergesheimer’s Donut Factory, please visit www.facebook.com/Hergershiemers.donut.factory or www.instagram.com/hergesheimers_donut_factory.
Hergesheimer’s Donut Factory has operated for more than 45 years from the popular location at 963 W. Henderson Ave. in Porterville, Calif. The business is located within Porterville Plaza near the highly trafficked intersection between State Route 65 and Henderson Ave. that sees upwards of 27,000 in daily traffic.
Porterville Mayor Martha A. Flores visited Hergesheimer’s Donut Factory to help celebrate the City of Porterville’s latest outstanding Business Honoree, Hergesheimer’s Donut Factory. (Left to right: Mayor Martha A. Flores, Amanda Yan, Chanel Yan.)
Hergesheimer’s Donut Factory owner Amanda Yan (middle) is joined by her family to receive the Outstanding Business Recognition awarded at the the City Council meeting on October 17, 2023 by Mayor Martha A. Flores (second from the left).
