Alright, let’s get one thing out of the way. Stan’s Donuts, a poppy pink franchise seen all over downtown Chicago, is the same Stan as the old school donut shop at the corner of Broxton and Weyburn in the heart of Westwood in Los Angeles. Trust me, as a UCLA alum who moved (briefly) to Chicago, I know.

The original Stan’s is in a tiny space with a mismatched sign, takeout only (with a few tables outside), sharing an entrance with a Flame Broiler. It carries in its no-fuss atmosphere the nostalgia of Westwood’s heyday, a constant (since 1965!) in a neighborhood that continues to struggle to evolve. Ironically, the unassuming shop has a much more glamorous location than all the shiny new locations that popped up around Chicago since 2014. The original is stationed right across from the Westwood and Bruin theaters, in a hectic intersection regularly closed off for movie premieres.

But this entry is for Chicago, the adopted city that loves this donut shop like their own child. Stan’s in Chicago is a whole different story. The signs are well branded, very pink, and very curated to evoke a slightly too polished nostalgia of old school soda shops. The stores range from comically spacious for a donut shop (like what kind of donut shop needs this much seating??) to equally well-branded take-out spots. The donut selection stays true to the favorites, or rather… has pretty much every iteration imaginable stuffed into a shiny case of colorful fried dough. Think: fritters, cronuts, filled, glazed, old-fashioned, etc. Oh, and they officially made it full service with an equally extra coffee selection. And milkshakes.

After 55 years, the original Stan’s Donuts closed in Westwood in 2020. Thank you, Chicago, for carrying on this Westwood legacy.