NEW SHARON – Sweet success.
Douin’s Market has been put on the map, thanks to its award-winning whoopie pies. The official whoopie pie tourist trail map for the upcoming Maine Whoopie Pie Festival held June 23 in Dover-Foxcroft lists Douin’s Market as a sweet Maine must-stop spot.
“We’re so honored,” said Joesph Douin as he watched a crowd of mostly kids getting a free whoopie pie today to celebrate being put on the map.
The Douin family market on Routes 2 & 27 has won top honors for two years in a row at the festival. The first year they entered, they won the people’s choice award for their brownie-and-creme-filled whoopie pies, they call the “brownie traditional.” Last year, competing against 30 other bakers, 26 of whom are commercial bakers from across the state, the Douins won first place for the most unique award, a brownie whoopie pie with peanutbutter filling.
For good reason, the Douin family, Joesph, his wife Deanne and son Darin, have come to be known as the “whoopie pie people.” That’s because this little convenience store sells 15,000 whoopie pies each month.
It began a few years ago when Joesph Douin needed a dessert to go with the day’s spaghetti and garlic bread special.
“I was playing around in the kitchen and just started making them,” he said. It made sense that Douin would return to his favorite snack growing up in North Anson. His pies are unique because instead of the soft, chocolate cake sandwich filled with white sweet fluff, Douin makes a soft chewy brownie in the traditional big cookie shape and fills it with creme that’s got just the right amount of gooey without being too gooey-runny.
Dounin never intended to make the pies again, but customers returned to the store after that first, fateful day and begged for more. “They told me, ‘you’ve gotta keep making them,'” he remembers. So he did.
Now eight different kinds of pies are featured at the store, from the classic with peanut butter to pumpkin chocolate chip. But it’s the brownie traditional that sells 10 to every other one sold, Douin said. There has been so much demand, Douin’s hired more baking help and recently received approval from the planning board to build an addition onto the store that will double the space to make way for a bakery.
Patrick Meyer, the “Whoopie Pie Guy,” as he’s known for as the festival’s organizer that draws thousands of sweet-loving pie people to Dover-Foxcroft, isn’t surprised at the Douin’s Market whoopie pie success story.
“It’s so quintessential Maine,” Meyer noted. So much so, last year the whoopie pie was named Maine’s official dessert.
“Who doesn’t love a whoopie pie?” Meyer asked as Sweetie Pie, the festival’s mascot, stood by.
Congrats. Never thought about a brownie one. I make a variety, so might have to explore a brownie battered one.
Congratulations Folks!!
Our Son Garrett is one of your biggest Fans, We live in Weld and He is always asking if anybody is heading towards ” the Whoopie Pie store” to pick Him up one.
Congrats! My husband and I LOVE your pumpkin chocolate chip whoopie pies! They’re delicious!
Congrats to you all at Douins Market
You guys (and Ladies) are a great asset to this little community
Thanks so much to the folks who love our Original Brownie Whoopie Pie! We sure enjoyed spending the afternoon festivity with you all !!!
So proud of you and your family Dee!!
Great job folks! Congrats!
That is how I stay petite plus. LOL
That is AWESOME.
Congrats, folks!
Congrats! We have some out of state salesmen who come into the area two to three times a year to show us their wares and two of them talk nonstop about your whopping pies when they first come in. They always set up their appointment schedule so they come in from that side of town Just so they can buy a whoopie pie! They could just as easily come in from the Auburn side using rt. 4 but your pies bring them in from Augusta and rt. 27!!! These men are notorious fat burning, watch your calories people, but every trip they make an exception for your whoopie pies! You must be doing something right to get these two to drive out your way for the pies!
Good things happen to good people…..congrats!!! Love you guys……..
Yum whoopie pies from Drouin’s! I can’t drive by without stopping!
pretty good pizza too
I LOVE the pumpkin chocolate chip whoopie pies! By far my favorite! I would love to try them some day with PB filling!!
You folks set the example for giving back to the community! The whoopie pies are awesome, the meals/sandwiches delicious and fairly priced. Your efforts for Addy and other charities commendable. Love, love love your store!!
My favorite is the molasses. Congrats you guys make the best whoopie pies!
Sounds like a trip to Douins for some whoopie pies. Not to mention their very tasty pizza pies too!
Congratulations to Douin’s from your friends st Farmington Coke!
15,000 pies per month?! WOW! Congratulations Douin’s!
Yeah way to go Douins!
15,000 that seems high, that is 500 a day???
Congratulations y’all! They even ship to Afghanistan!! You guys ROCK!
They just have great food .. just try some yummy WAY too go