Couple traded West Coast for Wichita so they could afford to chase their doughnut dreams
When Huber and Carla Pineda decided to leave Sacramento and relocate to Kansas, they knew two things:
They wanted to open their own doughnut shop, and they wanted to do it somewhere less expensive than California.
They chose Wichita — basically at random, they said — because it met their criteria and because they couldn’t find another business in town with a menu similar to the one they were planning.
Now, the young couple is on the verge of opening Mena’s Donut House in the space at 343 S. Greenwich where the east-side Mochinut operated until it closed in November. Their target opening date is April 1.
The couple, who named the shop after their 2-year-old daughter Ximena (who calls herself “Mena”), will be selling more than just doughnuts. Their menu also will include both sweet and savory crepes, scratch-made cinnamon rolls, waffles, pancakes, bagels, topped toasts and breakfast and lunch sandwiches. Their doughnuts will be both raised and cake-style, and they will also serve drip coffee, hot chocolate and cappuccinos.
The business also will have a few unique items, including pancake tacos, which are basically breakfast tacos that use pancakes in place of tortillas.
“All our ideas are from California,” Huber said. “We tried to open a business over there, but we definitely didn’t want to do it because it’s a little bit high over there.”
The shop will make its doughnuts and other food items fresh every day, Huber said. And it will be open later than a typical doughnut shop: from 4:30 a.m. until 9 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays and from 5 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays. If the shop runs low on doughnuts during the day, Huber said, his crew will make fresh ones.
They liked the old Mochinut space because it was already set up as a doughnut shop, Huber said. They also liked that it was in a busy area near a church and close to aircraft manufacturer Textron.
Though they only relocated to Wichita four months ago, the couple says they’re already happy about their decision. In fact, they said, their crew of employees also is moving to Wichita from California to work for them.
“What we love about this city is that people are not running crazy,” Huber said. “There’s so much calm here.”
The owners are planning several specials for their opening. From April 1 to April 3, the shop will sell one raised doughnut and a coffee for 99 cents. During that same time frame, those who buy 12 doughnuts will get a free cinnamon roll.
This story was originally published March 11, 2025 at 2:43 PM.
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