If something is good enough to leave an indelible impression on a chef, chances are it will also create a lasting memory for others. And nothing builds repeat business like something guests absolutely can’t forget—and must experience again.

Executive Chef Jeffrey Russell did not let skepticism and lack of funds stop him from bringing homemade cider doughnuts to the breakfast table at the Equinox Resort & Spa in Manchester, Vermont. Since their debut last fall, the humble treats have become a real crowd-pleaser.

Growing up in New England and vacationing in Vermont, Russell had enjoyed cider doughnuts at farm stands and sugar shacks. He knew they would evoke memories and create a new generation of fans. “I wanted to create those memories for the kids who stay here,” says Russell, who visited Equinox as a kid, and came on board two years ago. “I felt they were missing out on a big treat of mine as a child. When they get older, they’ll get married here and bring their kids here. It’s creating a tradition. I knew it was a little niche we could have that would be relatively inexpensive.”

Yet when Russell first proposed the idea, not everyone agreed. Some of Russell’s colleagues thought he was foolish to pursue something so mundane. Furthermore, the cost of a new doughnut machine, around $11,000, was not in the budget. Undeterred, Russell found a refurbished Donut Robot on eBay that he purchased with his own money for $1,700. To accommodate it in the pastry kitchen, engineering staff spent two weeks putting in new wiring and special safety boxes following electrical code.

To recreate the treat of his youth, Russell spent a month perfecting a recipe for doughnuts that look rustic and imperfect on the outside, with a slightly crisp texture and a touch of maple syrup.

The first day staff made the doughnuts, a group in the conference room below the kitchen caught the baking aroma as it wafted into the room through the ventilation system. Russell knew he was on to something when staff offered guests samples and “they went crazy.”

Two employees are required to make doughnuts. They fry small batches every 30 minutes, at a cost of five cents each. The machine is capable of making up to 144 dozen doughnuts an hour, and it’s not unheard of for staff to make up to 500 dozen on a busy weekend, Russell says.

To make the doughnuts even more special, they are served warm. Guests can enjoy them on the breakfast buffet and also buy them packaged for $6 a dozen in the gift shop. “I haven’t met anybody who doesn’t like a cider doughnut, especially when it’s warm,” says Mark O’Neill, Equinox general manager.

Guests who’ve described them as “addicting” place orders for packaged doughnuts to take home on their check-out days. Restaurant managers initially feared selling doughnuts out of the gift shop would hurt breakfast sales, but that hasn’t happened, O’Neill says. Guests eat breakfast, then buy a bag of doughnuts with cider at the gift shop to enjoy later. Skiers who wouldn’t normally have breakfast at the resort buy doughnuts on their way to the slopes. Gift shop sales tripled the first weekend doughnuts were offered, and the delectables continue to drive business.

The doughnuts were added to the buffet at no additional cost to guests. They’re a good fit for Equinox, which has been using more homegrown ingredients under Russell’s direction. “It adds to the Vermont style,” says Doreen Sachau, who manages the restaurants and banquet department.

Chef Russell, who did get reimbursed for the doughnut machine, is developing other products including jelly doughnuts made from seasonal fruits and cider doughnut bread pudding. Hotel chefs in other markets should consider doughnuts, Russell says.

“Put your own indigenous touch on your doughnuts, and they’ll be a hit wherever you go,” he advises. “Doughnuts can work anywhere.”

Lynne Miller of Brooklyn, New York, writes about foodservice, real estate, design, and other topics for several professional publications.

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