This Kansas City business has closed. KS.City keeps its page on the record.

Ridgewood Donuts & Bakery was a family donut shop at 4309 Blue Ridge Boulevard, Kansas City, MO, open 1956–fall 2024. Founder Bill Penny; later owners included Greg (bought 2000) and, from 2020, John Snyder. Yelp and disKCovery mark it permanently closed. Tier 1 as operated (east-side independent, not a franchise).12

Description

Ridgewood was a no-frills east-side donut shop in its original building — Missouri Life called it the oldest doughnut shop still in its original Kansas City building as of the 2000s.3 Snyder expanded the Bismarck and cake-donut lineup (about four Bismarck types when he bought it; about twenty later) and ran seasonal flavors (strawberry old-fashioned for Independence’s Strawberry Festival; key-lime Bismarck; pumpkin through Thanksgiving).2

The shop’s own WordPress site described a family-owned, veteran, commercial-and-retail bakery making donuts daily, with an app/email pre-order path.1 Facebook later posted that Ridgewood would be closed permanently.4

Ownership and history

  • 1956 — Bill Penny opens Ridgewood.3
  • 2000 — Greg buys the shop; a 2016 Northwest Florida Daily News profile (on a different Penny-family shop, but quoting the KC lineage) said Greg was the fourth owner.5
  • 2020 — John Snyder returns to Kansas City and buys Ridgewood with no prior donut experience; he told disKCovery he learned on the job and then expanded the flavor list.2
  • Fall 2024 — Forced permanent close (disKCovery update, 2025 note). Yelp header CLOSED as of August 2026.26

Not captured; shop is closed. Historic signatures: apple fritters (Mom Collective / regulars), Bismarcks, cake donuts, weekend danishes.72

Sources

Footnotes

  1. Ridgewood Donuts & Bakery WordPress (accessed 2026-08-12). Asserts: in business since 1956; family-owned veteran commercial and retail bakery; 4309 Blue Ridge Blvd implied via listings. ↩ ↩2

  2. disKCovery — “Devan’s Dozen: Donut Edition,” June 7, 2024 (updated 2025) — asserts: est. 1956; 4309 Blue Ridge Boulevard; John Snyder purchased 2020; Bismarck/cake expansion; permanently closed fall 2024. ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5

  3. Missouri Life — “Where to Get Doughnuts in the Show-Me State.” — asserts: Greg bought Ridgewood in 2000; oldest doughnut shop in its original KC building; first opened by Bill Penny in 1956. ↩ ↩2

  4. Ridgewood Donuts Facebook — asserts: in business since 1956, veteran owned; “Ridgewood will be closed permanently.” ↩

  5. Northwest Florida Daily News — “‘Good, old, neighborhood business’ has staying power,” May 14, 2016 — asserts: original owner Bill Penny; Greg bought 2000 and was the fourth owner (lineage note). ↩

  6. Yelp — Ridgewood Donuts (CLOSED), updated August 2026 — asserts: closed status; long-running neighborhood shop. ↩

  7. Kansas City Mom Collective — “The Best Donuts in Kansas City.” — asserts (pre-close): 4309 Blue Ridge Blvd; since 1956; family and veteran owned; apple fritters; weekend danishes; app/email pre-order. ↩

See also

Categories

On the record — ks.city/registry/ridgewood-donuts · record updated 2026-08-12