DANVILLE, Ill. (WCIA) — The opening of local favorite Royal Donut is coming later this summer, and it will be under new ownership.

Officials said the new ownership group are siblings from Sidell that grew up enjoying treats from Royal Donut their grandfather would bring them. Ben George, Hannah Landis, Sam George and Holly George came together to collectively purchase Royal Donut. Two of the owners and their spouses, couples Sam and Rachel George, and Drew and Hannah Landis, are known as the team behind a popular local coffee shop and community gathering space, Mad Goat Coffee.

“Coffee and donuts are obviously an iconic combination, so when Royal Donut closed, our wheels definitely started turning,” Sam George, Owner and Manager of Mad Goat Coffee, said. “Donuts. Is there anything they cannot do?” Sam quipped, a quote from one of his favorite TV shows, The Simpsons.

Sam said the acquisition is not a merger and the two companies will remain independent. According to him, the menu and recipes at Royal Donut will remain largely the same as they always have been. What people will not see anytime in the near future, George said, is a barista prepared flavored latte or other complex drinks at Royal Donut.

“One big change is that Royal Donut will immediately begin serving Mad Goat brewed coffee, along with some other quick-serve drinks like cold brew and maybe more,” Sam said. “Likewise, the Mad Goat cafes will be able to offer limited quantities of popular donuts along with all the other bakery items.”

It will be a couple of months of preparation at Royal Donut before the doors officially open for business later this summer. Sam said they are targeting July or possibly even August.

“We have got to make sure all the recipes work and taste the way folks are familiar with, there is some work in the space still to do, and we will probably have some new software to test.”

Mad Goat Coffee was founded in 2014 by Sam and Rachel George and Drew and Hannah Landis. Envisioned as a community gathering spot with the added bonus of top-quality coffee and espresso drinks, Mad Goat has quickly become an iconic Vermilion County location.

Royal Donut was founded in 1973 by Sanford and Barbara Eichhorn, three generations have now baked and served award-winning donuts and pastries to customers in Danville and its surrounding communities. The donuts, nut rolls, smiley-faced sugar cookies and more, have been widely adored by generations of Vermilion County residents.