Go Nuts for Rene’s

New donut shop fills a hole in Mooresville

Lake Norman Currents | December 2019

By Aaron Garcia

When it comes to creativity, Linda Moreno says, "I can't draw a straight line, to be honest with you."

It's a good thing donuts are round, then.

As the owner of Rene's Sweet Treats on Brawley School Road, Moreno fills her display cases with some of the most imaginative confectionery creations in the Lake Norman area. Sure, she bakes (or fries) the standards: glazed, frosted, jelly filled, sprinkled. But alongside the standbys are the imaginative spins that use fresh fruit, candy and other elements that really make Rene's a treat.

"You can do so many things with this," says Moreno. "It's endless."

Families that glaze together

Moreno's story actually began in the mid-eighties, said Moreno, when her aunt opened SK Donuts in Los Angeles.

"It wasn't anything fancy," says Moreno. "Just a twist and a glaze."

Around 2000, her cousin, Sophie, and her son, Jeremy, began offering more selections at SK. Business boomed, and the family soon opened several more shops. These days, any self-respecting confectionary connoisseur in SoCal has heard not only of SK Donuts, but probably USA Donut, Olympic Donut, AM Donut and Colorado Donut, too. SK and Colorado were even featured in the L.A. Times's 2017 "Definitive List" of Los Angeles-area donut shops.

Moreno said she was in the middle of it all, hopping from one shop to the next, even during the 25-year stretch when she worked full time as an administrator for a home healthcare company.

"I couldn't ask for better training because every day you go in, you see how they mix the dough, you see how they proof the dough, how they add the love they have for the donuts," says Moreno.

Two years ago, she decided to get back into the donut biz full time. The Lake Norman area had long been a favorite vacation spot for her husband, Rene (who goes by Keith), who visited the area as a youngster. The lake area was a huge draw, Moreno said, especially considering there weren't nearly as many donut shops as there were in California.

On full display

The difference between Rene's Sweet Treats and other donuts you've tried is really highlighted by the shop's croissant donut, which isn't so much croissant or donut, but deep-fried sin that's cut in half and cream-stuffed. The pumpkin pie croissant donut is filled with cream cheese frosting and topped with pumpkin cheesecake, a halo of more cream cheese frosting and crushed graham crackers. The croissant's filling makes it heavy in your hands yet it's still light and fluffy, which is true of pretty much every treat you bite into at Rene's. That's thanks to dough that Moreno says took years to perfect.

More than sweet treats

The treats aren't all sweet, however; Rene's can brew up cappuccinos, lattes and other coffees, and features a range of sandwiches for breakfast and lunch, all of which are available all day. Not surprisingly, you can also find croissants stuffed with pizza toppings, ham and cheese, and more.

Keith says the menu reflects his wife's talent as a cook. He says his wife often makes new offerings at customers' requests — she recently whipped up a pecan pie donut on the fly.

"She's a cook; she can cook anything," says Keith. "She doesn't have to have anyone tell her how to make it, they just have to tell her what they want."

That ability is best on display Saturday mornings. While business is still a bit slower than the weekdays, Moreno and Keith pull out all the stops for their busiest day, filling not just their regular display case, but lining their L-shaped bar with donuts, pies, croissants, and more. The donuts designed as cartoon characters have been a hit with the kids, said Keith, as have the candy- and cereal-topped.

And the maple bacon and Bavarian cream bars are there, and they're delicious, too — even though they're in the shape of a straight line.