JP and Ryland Rainsford embody the adage, “If you can dream it, you can do it.” The pair—she’s an elementary school teacher, he’s a mechanical engineer—found their way to Greenville in 2013 so Ryland could take a job at Michelin, but it wasn’t long before fate led them down a different path.
Both had pursued photography as a hobby, so they started a side hustle in 2014, expanding into wedding photography two years later. As much as they enjoyed photography, they craved a vocation where they could make more meaningful and longer-lasting connections. “We wanted to have a local impact and contribute to the quality of life in our city,” Ryland recalls. Their “aha” moment came when one of his running buddies complained that Greenville lacked good artisan-made doughnuts.
Neither Ryland nor JP has a culinary background, but both were excited by the idea of making doughnuts. For this couple, it had to be cronuts, the irresistible croissant/doughnut hybrid that requires a labor-intensive three-day process of making the dough, repeatedly laminating it with butter, then cutting and frying it. They spent a year doing research and testing recipes before delivering the first Scout’s Doughnuts this past April, and the business has rolled out quickly from there.
Flavors change every month, depending on the bounty of the season, so don’t get too attached to any particular one (we’re looking at you, salt caramel buttercream). No matter the month, what you can count on is 144 airy layers of buttery deliciousness.
For now, their business is wholesale only, with occasional pop-ups, but the couple envisions a brick-and-mortar retail shop in the not-too-distant future. “We look forward to having our own space where folks can gather,” Ryland says. “It’s a lot more than just doughnuts, it’s about cultivating growth and creating connections for ourselves and others.”
A Taste of the Holidays from Scout’s Doughnuts
Reflecting the festive season, here’s a preview of Scout’s flavors for December:
Dark Chocolate Cheesecake – Who could resist a doughnut with rich cheesecake filling inside and a silky Lumineux dark chocolate buttercream outside?
Cardamom Bun – Swiss buttercream and spiced sugar recall the flavors of the beloved Swedish treat.
Cranberry Pistachio – A tart cranberry glaze and crushed pistachios crown this confection.
Cinnamon Sugar – A year-round classic.
Gingerbread – Spiced gingerbread buttercream tops this doughnut, along with chunks of homemade gingerbread cookie.
Horchata – Perfumed with warming cinnamon, the glaze on this doughnut was inspired by the creamy Mexican beverage made from rice.
Find Scouts Doughnuts at Bridge City Coffee (1520 Wade Hampton Blvd) and Chestnut Coffee House (325 Rocky Slope Rd, Suite 101, Greenville; and 110 E Curtis St, Simpsonville). Keep up with their weekly delivery schedule on Instagram: @scoutsdoughnuts.
Photography by Jen Jefferson.
