Lehi Business
Louks Greek Baby Donuts creates a delicious Greek experience
Brynn Carnesecca | Lehi Free Press
In Utah’s soda- and cookie-crazed environment, it’s not every day you get to have an ancient Greek treat. Louks Greek Baby Donuts in American Fork delivers a unique and delicious experience with treats rumored to have their start in the Olympic Games. Loukoumades, or Louks, translates to Greek baby donuts.
According to the Louks website, “These golden ‘honey tokens’ were given to the participants of the first Greek Olympics Games (776 B.C.) after their valiant athletic efforts.”
Louks Greek Baby Donuts has a colorful origin story, beginning with Greek business partners George Zoumberakis and Constantine Marougas. Zoumberakis is as Greek as they come.
“I was born and raised in LA, but both of my parents are from the island of Crete, so I am a first-generation Greek,” said Zoumberakis. His mother was even known as the best Greek baker in Downey, California.
In 2018, Marougas created the store concept on a trip back to Crete. While visiting a local louks dine-in, he fell in love with the idea and decided to bring it back to his hometown in California. Although Marougas attended culinary school and had a background in baking, he had no experience baking louks. He set out on a lengthy trial-and-error process to perfect the recipe. While traditional louks are coated in honey, cinnamon and crushed walnuts, Marougas wanted to elevate the dessert with additional fillings, toppings, ice cream and flavor combos. Shortly after, Marougas opened the first location in California, where the unique treat became a smashing success.
A few years later, Zoumberakis developed an interest and passion for sharing the treats. During midwinter, he and his family made a trip to Utah.
“It was snowing and 25 degrees outside, and I saw a line out the door at Swig. It made me think, ‘I should get into the sugar business,’” Zoumberakis recalled.
Within a few months, the first Louks opened in Taylorsville, Utah. Flash forward to September 2023, and Zoumberakis decided to expand his reach and build a location on 500 E. in American Fork.
The Louks store is, in a word, charming. The friendly staff, Greek-inspired decorations, and family-friendly menu set the store apart. Zoumberakis aspires to radiate an energy of filotimo, a Greek word that translates to “friend of honor” and implies a general attitude of love, respect and hospitality towards others.
However, the star of the show is the treats themselves. Louks prides itself on its freshness and authenticity. To ensure all donuts are up to par, the dough is rolled, fried and baked every 30 minutes. All donuts sitting out for more than a half hour are never served to customers. After ordering, customers can watch the staff fill the donuts, sprinkle toppings, and top it off with optional ice cream.
To ensure authenticity, all the chocolate is imported from Belgium or Italy, and the donuts are served with the highest quality ice cream. Adults and kids alike can enjoy fun combos such as a churro, strawberry shortcake, dulce de leche and, of course, the classic Greek louks. Louks also offers a full espresso bar, additional Greek pastries, and breakfast items.
With such high-quality ingredients, the taste of the louks is out of this world.
“They’re crispy on the outside and light and soft on the inside,” Zoumberakis explained. “It goes hand in hand with frying them fresh throughout the day. When people bite into them, they can tell they are not average donut holes. They describe them as tasting similar to funnel cakes and beignets.”
In the store, I had the opportunity to try both the classic louks and the specialty dulce de leche. Both were served fresh and warm and had an incredible, unique taste. Louks is a can’t-miss in terms of flavor.
At both Utah locations, the community reaction has been overwhelming. Customers drive over thirty minutes to get a taste of the shop with a 4.9-star Google rating.
“People are really surprised at the quality, the freshness, and that it’s something completely different,” said Zoumberakis. “I think everyone in Utah especially likes it because it is unique from what is out there.”
In the future, Louks hopes to open additional locations throughout Utah and California.
To order Louks, customers can use walk-in, drive-through, curbside pickup or DoorDash options. They also are available to cater weddings and special events. Louks is located at 541 S. 500 E. Unit F in American Fork. For additional information, visit www.babylouks.com or follow @louksdonuts on Instagram.
