New System Bakery, Chillicothe: Back on the Donut Trail
Posted by CMH Gourmand on October 17, 2011
As October starts to wane I must to make sure your Pumpkin needs are met in full. Let me introduce you to New System Bakery in Chillicothe.
When an avowed foodie, wine expert and elite eater says that New System donuts are to die for, I listened. The downside is that the New System Bakery has some old school hours. They are closed Saturday and Sunday so being impaired by employment as well as the bakery’s hours (5 am to 5 pm) it took me nearly a year for the stars to align to get myself down SR 23 to Chillicothe for a donut. By donut I mean a box of a dozen or so. It is a tough drive since I passed previous Donut Trail spots.
On a previous donut run, I was close to The New System Bakery at (very) nearby Crispie Creme donut shop. My team and I were happy with Crispie Creme and I wondered if Chillicothe could really have two stellar donuteries. It turns out the citizens of Chillicothe represent quite well on the Ohio donut food chain.
New System is busy by report of customers and employees. The woman serving me said she was worn out and it was only 10 am. She said it was a slow day. The employee also mentioned they frequently run out of most items before they close the doors. What are fan favorites? By report cakes, seasonal holiday cut out cookies, cinnamon rolls, breads and…….
It seems everyone likes everything at New System Bakery. At New System baking comes first and donuts are just part of the spectum of production. The end results are still very good in the donut category. My focus was donuts and I was in luck, there were still some left. At ten in the morning pickings were sparse. I had lucked out, there were still a few Bismarck’s left.
The Bismarcks appear to be the local favorite. While smaller than others of the ilk, the weight of sugar alone in these ticking time bombs of fried doughy goodness would outweigh a Tim Horton’s box. Chillicoth/ians/ites/ers (?) tend to order in advance and in mass, most people steering past my glazed over eyes and senses were picking up boxes. The counter people seemed to know each visitor by name and order. I was clued in to a secret – whenever a glazed holiday cookie appears grab as many as you can and don’t make eye contact with anyone as you leave the establishment.
I did get the last Pumpkin glazed pumpkin donut. It was by far, without a doubt, the finest, pumpkin based donut I have consumed… ever.
The New System itself deserves a mention of two. I am not sure what the system was but it is very old now. The bakery opened in 1920. The interior, cabinets and counters look untouched since the pre prohibition era. Spelled out in large pink letters above the counter is the phrase: Make Your Day Better With Donuts. Okay, no argument there (just try to bake more please). I did not sample a pie but looking at them my instinctive sweet-o-meter indicates they are good. The initials used to identify the pies are a definite plus one on my pie scale as well.
If I had to choose between Crispie Creme and New System, which would win? It depends on the donut. If I could only get one donut, it would be the pumpkin donut at New System, if there are any left.
New System on Facebook
75 East Main Street
Chillicothe, OH 45601-2507
740.773.2885
CMH Gourmand - Eating in Columbus & Ohio 
Carolyn Ison said
You need to know that New System had a fire and, subsequently, moved to a new shop West of Chillicothe, in Rt. 50 in an area known as Western Avenue.