Folsom doughnut shop voted one of country's best

If you're looking for one of the best doughnuts in the country, look no further than 402 E. Bidwell Street in Folsom, the longtime home of BJ Cinnamon. The hugely popular cinnamon bun and doughnut shop was recently ranked in the top five doughnut businesses in the entire country by Yelp. A group of Yelp Elites, which as Yelp describes are contributors with a reputation of providing high-quality reviews, recently had the tasty task of determining which doughnut shops are the absolute best in the country. Based on their ratings and reviews, Yelp rounded up 50 top-rated doughnut shops in the US, and beloved local favorite BJ Cinnamon made the top five! Owner Chanthoeun To said he's thrilled to receive this latest honor. He believes their freshness and perfect timing they've mastered during the frying process is what sets their doughnuts apart from others. To and his wife are up before the sun every morning, making the dough so when their doors open at 5 a.m., customers are getting the freshest product possible, literally right out of the oven or fryer. "The way we mix our dough and the way we fry it, the timing makes a lot of difference," said To. "It's fresh, very fresh." To and his family moved to Folsom in 2019 from the Bay Area. In his former life, To was a software engineer while his wife ran a doughnut shop. Eventually, To opted for a career change and began helping his wife in the shop. The couple dabbled in bagels as well, but eventually the cinnamon roll became their signature creation, along with a sugary topping that pushes the treats to the next level of delectable. Asked how he makes the sugary topping so good, To simply smiles and says, "It's a secret." But he does reveal what makes his doughnuts so special. "When you eat, let's say, a glazed doughnut, when you put it in your mouth, you can feel it. The softness inside and around it, a little bit, like a little crunchy, tiny crunchy on the palette and it just melts in your mouth," said To. "And the flavor is not too sweet; just perfect in the mouth." Apparently, many people agree with this drool-worthy description: On the wall of TJ Cinnamon are a slew of awards. Since To and his family took over the shop in 2019, they have won The Folsom Telegraph's "Best local doughnut shop" category every year, and each plaque is proudly on display. Holidays are especially busy, with countless residents stopping by to get signature cinnamon rolls or doughnuts to make an event even more special. "A week ago for Mother's Day, we were very busy," said To. "People lined up outside just to get the doughnuts." BJ Cinnamon is open every weekday from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturdays 5 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sundays 5 a.m. to 3 p.m. Aside from standard doughnuts such as glazed, maple bars and such, they often experiment with fun new items such as the strawberry ring or the latest new item, the whipped cream mocha doughnut. When To was asked which job is more fun, software or doughnuts, the answer came without hesitation: "Of course, I like the doughnut shop," To said with a smile, and he does treat himself to a doughnut most days, with his favorite being the sugar twist.