CENTERVILLE, S.D. (KELO) – A small-town bakery is known for its friendly staff and longtime history in the Centerville community. It's also known for its original 'Zebra Donut.' "Oh, I've got to have the Zebras. Zebras are the favorite," Orinda Steeneck said. Leaving the scorer’s table after nearly 40 years "Zebra Donuts for sure. I get them all the time," Dan Hansen said. The Zebra Donut name is just as wild as it sounds, but not to worry—no actual zebras involved in the recipe. The treat was created by former owners Keith and Janine Ellis, who ran the shop for over 30 years. "It's got two doughs in it. You've got your white yeast and then the chocolate dough is in the middle there. You layer the three together, then press them out, and it gets the white glaze and then Keith Ellis' signature chocolate glaze which that's what makes it so amazing," said Zebra King Donuts owner Brooke Hille. Bryan and Brooke Hille took over the bakery last year, renaming it Zebra King Donuts. "When I bought the place from him, I just thought it would be a good name. Zebra King for the Zebra Donut," Bryan Hille said. The shop's become a destination for donut lovers all over. "We've had people come from Springfield. We've had people come from Watertown. We've had people from out of state," Bryan said. "I get down every couple of weeks," Kurt Bartges said. "I live outside of Harrisburg, and so this is the donut place to go. I come down here. It's a nice drive in the morning, and I get donuts for my wife and I and some friends." Whether it's getting a treat for themselves or letting someone else give the sugary delight a try, the Zebra Donut has captured the hearts, and taste buds, of many. "Any time we're traveling anywhere near in the neighborhood, we have to stop," Linda Robison said. "I'm moving today, and I'm going to have some high school boys there helping. I thought they could use some nourishment," Steeneck said. Those who have visited the bake shop more than once know you need to get there early if you're planning to get your hands on a Zebra. "We've learned our lesson over the years that you do have to come early down here because those Zebra Donuts sell out. So, we try to come early," Robison said. While Zebra Donuts may be the star of the show, there's a whole lot more that makes the shop so sweet. "The chocolate fried Danish, we have the cream delights. Those are a big one. The raspberry rosebud is good. We get quite a mixture of stuff people want," Brooke said. It's what made December 7 a rather bittersweet. The bakery served its customers one last time for the year. "With the wintertime and the weather the way it is, it's really not safe to drive. We have lots of out-of-town customers. Centerville is a town of roughly 900 to 1,000 people. We couldn't, the town alone can't support us," Bryan said. Closing up shop until spring is difficult for both staff and customers. "A few days off is okay," Brooke said. "After that, it's like, well, I wonder how so and so is doing or, you know, you do miss them. I wish we had shorter winter months." "It definitely is sad to see that they're closed, but makes us look forward to the spring when they open back up," Ashley Edblom said. Anticipation already surrounds the bakery's reopening date, and the Hilles are looking forward to a possible expansion in addition to their current location. "We have been getting so much input from Sioux Falls that we're thinking about a couple locations possibly in Sioux Falls. We're looking at a couple places," Bryan said. But until then, their customers, along with their donut cravings, will be waiting. "I'll keep track of when they're open and we'll come back down. Absolutely. You know, lots of days when the weather's nice in the spring, we'll just get our stuff, go sit on a truck tailgate and, you know, eat them right here on the tailgate and then come back in and get more," Bartges said. The Hilles say they hope to reopen the bakery in March 2025. Updates can be found on their Facebook page.