Apr 28, 2014 8 Questions with Mark Trombino/Donut Friend
I first became aware of Mark Trombino through his drumming. Holy crap, was Drive Like Jehu great. I drove from L.A. to San Diego many times to see the post punk rippers everywhere from the Women’s Club to the World Beat Center to the original location of the Casbah. Amazing. So I was stoked when I started to see him in L.A. hanging out at the Music Friends studio doing production work and then shocked when I heard that he was giving up music to open the ultimate donut shop. At Donut Friend, you get to choose your donut and mix and match fillings and toppings. There’s also menu of choice combinations named after punk bands: Coconut of Conformity, Fudgegazi, Jets to Basil, Cherry Three, Chocolate from the Crypt. Yes, there are vegan and gluten-free options and, yes, everything is delicious. With his career path going from rad music to tasty treats, how could I not ask my friend Imprint’s 8 questions?
How would you describe your job?
I don’t really know! I don’t feel like I have a job, to be honest. I come in to Donut Friend every day and do a bunch of stuff for something like 12 hours, but it is all so new and overwhelming to me that it hardly feels like work. I think when it does I’ll probably start looking for something else to do!
What does an average work day look like?
It’s cliché to say but I don’t think I have an “average” day. Sometimes I’m doing a bunch paperwork or payroll. Other times I’m out shopping, doing interviews, recipe testing in the kitchen, or engaging with customers up front. The past couple of weekends I was at Coachella selling donuts! Who saw that coming? Not me!
Any cool projects that you’re currently working on?
Nothing “cool” but I am working on some fun things. I want to start selling Donut Friend to other cafés and shops, and I’m talking to a few different places about that. I also want to start doing more catering-type things so I’m working on a menu for that that I can hand out to people. That’s a lot of fun because I get to design. I really enjoy anything where I get to make or create something–even if it’s as boring as a menu. I’m honestly not too into running a donut shop: I like to design and build and grow things. I would love to open up another location and do this all over again.
Are there any correlations between making treats and making music?
For sure! I mean, obviously there’s the creative element to both and each takes a lot of practice to master. It’s probably a little nerdy but I am just as in awe of a good baker who really knows how to work with dough and knows intuitively how it’s supposed to look and feel at any given time as I am of a musician who has mastered his or her instrument. It’s beautiful to watch really good bakers do their thing. To me, at least. And lately there seems to be a strong connection between music and food, as well. I don’t know if it’s real, but I am noticing it more and more. Maybe it’s just because I love both worlds that I’m seeing connections where there aren’t any.
Where do you find inspiration?
Everywhere! Friends, the Internet, blogs, restaurants, other donut shops… It’s endless. I’m constantly trying to make Donut Friend better, so no matter where I go I am probably analyzing my surroundings and trying to figure out ways to incorporate the things I see into Donut Friend. I am pretty singularly focused right now. I’m a bad date.
Reading anything good at the moment?
No, I’m not much of a reader. Reading makes me sleepy.
What’s your favorite post-work destination?
Home. Is that boring? I’m actually very introverted, so after being in a busy donut shop surrounded by people all day all I want to do is go home and decompress. I’ll play a video game, play with my cat, or just watch some really bad TV. Or good TV. Whatever. It’s just nice to shut off the brain for a bit and recharge.
Did you like donuts when you were a kid?
Yeah, of course! It was always the best when my mom or dad would come home with a box of donuts from Winchell’s or something. Which is why it probably makes me so happy to see kids with chocolate all over their faces after demolishing one of my donuts!
Visit Donut Friend at 5107 York Blvd. in Los Angeles from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday (open until midnight on Friday and Saturday). And check out a killer song by Drive Like Jehu below:
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