There is a confectionary earthquake happening in Goleta, caused by two former accountants who now have the hottest bakery in town.

The epicenter: Kin Bakeshop at 199 S. Turnpike Road, Suite 103, in the Turnpike Shopping Center.

Tommy Chang and Will Chen opened Kin Bakeshop (Kin as in “kinship”) next to Lighthouse Coffee less than a year ago, and Team Let’s Go Eat discovered it one recent morning while meeting a pal for coffee.

We saw this huge line, like 100-plus people, and asked them what they were waiting for.

Doughnuts, they said. Huh?

“Kin for me was never about being a bake shop,” Chang told us when we sat down together recently. “It’s about human experience and human connection.”

Well, bullseye.

Kin Bakeshop features Mochi doughnuts (made with rice flour), and Hokkaido Brioche doughnuts (made with traditional cake flour) plus specialty coffee and tea drinks.

The combination has inspired fervor and loyalty; the line to get in often extends to 1½ to 2 hours. Seriously.

“I was at Costco recently,” Chang shared. “This guy heard me explaining to the check-out lady about what we do, and he shouts over ‘I waited two hours the other day and it was worth it!’”

Chen and Chang met working together in the finance department of a Los Angeles tech firm.

After being laid off during the COVID-19 lockdowns, Chang came home to Santa Barbara, and noticed everyone baking sourdough bread.

“I wanted to try something different,” he said. “I grew up in a Korean family with rice cakes, so I thought I’d try Mochi doughnuts,” which he made in his mother’s kitchen.

Why baking?

“Because I just wanted a chance to talk to people, ask how they’re doing during COVID,” he replied.

His mom was a fan.

“She became a huge supporter,” he recalled, “helped me glaze and dip doughnuts, put on the sprinkles, all that stuff.”

So he made 100 doughnuts and did one sponsored Instagram post advertising them for free.

“That’s the only advertising we’ve ever done,” Chang said. “We sold out in 10 minutes.”

That quickly ramped up to 300 doughnuts at a time, selling out in one to two minutes.

“I thought this would just be temporary,” Chang said, “but it blew up.”

Friends at Your Choice, a Thai restaurant in Santa Barbara, suggested he and Chen try a pop-up working out of their place.

“We went with a first-come approach, and the line wrapped around the building on the first day, all word of mouth,” Chang said.

Time to make a call, go full tilt or go back to accounting. For these two, it was no question.

In 2023 they found the space in Goleta across the street from San Marcos High School, and did a Kickstarter campaign to raise money to get going.

It was over-subscribed, and by June they were in business.

Along the way, at Chen’s suggestion, they had added the Brioche doughnuts (which are heavier on the butter and dairy), along with coffee and matcha drinks.

What was that first day like?

“Crazy,” Chang said. “Chaotic, it was nonstop, hardly any time to breathe.

“Will and I had no experience in the food business. Neither of us had ever run a shop, let alone a bakery, let alone one with a big line of people.”

So what’s the secret?

“Our greatest strength is not knowing the rules and limitations,” Chang said with a laugh.

“Like, why not put black sesame seeds on a doughnut?” Chang asked. “We have this opportunity to connect with people through new flavors and new food.

“We look at our core Mochi and Brioche doughnuts as a canvas,” he added. “That’s what’s fun for me … try to be faithful to the inspiration, but add our creative touch.”

A recent menu at Kin included Tart Blackberry and Guava Cheesecake Mochi doughnuts, plus Passionfruit and Raspberry/White Chocolate Brioche flavors, which the Let’s Go Eat Bicycle Team happily devoured.

Regarding the drink menu, it features — improbably — an Austrian coffee drink called Einspänner (espresso topped with heavy cream).

“We knew someone who’d had it in Korea, where it’s very popular,” Chang said. “She suggested we try it.

“The key is the cream, which we developed, and the coffee aspect is very important.”

He smiled broadly.

“I’m picky about my Einspänners,” he noted.

Kin Bakeshop also offers Einspänners with matcha instead of coffee, for those who prefer.

Plans for the future?

“The spirit of Kin is human connection,” Chang said. “That doesn’t really work for franchising. We might open a total of three of these, maybe one in San Luis Obispo.”

SLO, get those earthquake kits ready.

Kin Bakeshop is open 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday and Thursday through Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. The shop is closed Tuesday and Wednesday.

Locals Only

No kidding, the best move is to arrive at 8:30 a.m. with a chair and a book or laptop. If you arrive at 9:30 a.m. when the shop opens, especially Friday through Sunday, you’ll still wait an hour and the Brioche might be sold out. Pretty much everything is often sold out by 11:30 a.m.

Pro Tip

Gluten-free Mochi muffins are offered Mondays and Thursdays.