Nashville has no shortage of hyped-up food stops, but 5 Daughters Bakery Nashville is one of the few that actually earns the line out the door. This is a family-run shop built around a single, genuinely unusual pastry — and it’s easy to visit wrong if you don’t know where to go or when to show up.
Five Daughters Bakery is a family-owned Nashville bakery best known for its 100 Layer Donut, a croissant-dough pastry that takes three days to make. Founded in 2015 by Isaac and Stephanie Meek, the bakery now has ten locations across Tennessee and Georgia, with several inside Nashville proper. It’s a donut for people who don’t even like donuts.
The Story Behind Five Daughters Bakery
The bakery’s origin is genuinely a family story, not a marketing one. Isaac and Stephanie Meek started out selling donuts to local coffee shops directly out of their house, before opening their first storefronts in 2015. The name comes from the couple’s five daughters — Dylan, Lucy, Maggie, Evangeline, and Constance, and the fifth daughter’s name lives on in one of the menu’s other signature items (more on that below).
Baking runs deeper than one generation here. >Isaac Meek is a third-generation baker and business owner in Nashville, and his great-grandfather ran a cake shop while his grandfather owned a pizzeria. That lineage shows up in how seriously the shop treats its process — this isn’t a novelty pastry thrown together for Instagram, even though it photographs well.
The ingredient philosophy is also a family matter. The bakery says its pastries are made from scratch daily, always non-GMO, and sourced locally and organically where possible. One of the more human details behind that policy: the Meeks have said one of their daughters has significant food sensitivities, which is part of why the recipes lean toward cleaner ingredients rather than shortcuts.
Quick takeaway: This is a genuine family business — not a chain trying to look artisanal. The 2015 founding, the daughters’ names on the menu, and the multi-generational baking background all show up in how the product is actually made.
Every Five Daughters Bakery Location in Nashville
Five Daughters has expanded well beyond its original Franklin roots, and knowing which Nashville location you’re headed to matters — hours and vibe differ slightly by shop.
| Location | Address | Neighborhood | Hours (typical) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 South | 1110 Caruthers Ave, Nashville, TN 37204 | 12 South | 7am–9pm daily |
| East Nashville | 1900 Eastland Ave, Ste 101, Nashville, TN 37206 | East Nashville | 7am–9pm weekdays, 8am–9pm weekends |
| The Gulch | 602 12th Ave S, Nashville, TN 37203 | The Gulch | Varies — check ahead |
| Broadway / 5 Points area | 5036 Broadway, Ste C-213, Nashville, TN 37203 | East Nashville / 5 Points | 7am–8pm daily |
| The Factory at Franklin | Historic Downtown Franklin | Franklin (just outside Nashville) | Café hours, closes when sold out |
12 South
This is the original Nashville storefront and still the one most visitors default to, sitting right on the 12 South strip near other popular shops and restaurants — easy to combine with a walking afternoon.
East Nashville
The East Nashville location tends to draw more locals and has consistently strong review volume, with a 4.5-star Tripadvisor rating and a ranking inside the top 100 restaurants in Nashville out of over 1,700 listed.
The Gulch
The Gulch shop is smaller and more counter-service focused. It carries the full daily menu of traditional, vegan, gluten-free, and paleo options, all made by hand — worth knowing if you’re traveling with someone who has dietary restrictions and don’t want to backtrack across town.
5 Points / Broadway
A newer addition, useful if you’re staying downtown and don’t want to trek out to 12 South or the original East Nashville shop.
Quick takeaway: If you only have time for one stop, 12 South and East Nashville are the two most established options with the most consistent hours and highest review counts. The Gulch and Broadway locations are better if you’re already in that part of town.
What to Order at Five Daughters Bakery
The 100 Layer Donut
This is the entire reason the brand exists. The signature item is a cross between a donut and a croissant — essentially the bakery’s take on a cronut, and it takes three days to make, using croissant dough to build a light, flaky texture rather than a dense cake-donut base. >Once cooked, it’s rolled in sugar, filled with cream, and finished with a glaze.
Flavor rotation changes seasonally, but reviewers consistently call out a handful as standouts: the Purist, Boston Cream, and Carrot Cake all show up repeatedly in visitor reviews as favorites, and past seasonal flavors have included Eggnog, Chocolate Peppermint, Strawberry Cream, Maple Cardamom, and Double Espresso. The maple-bacon version, often called the King Kong, pairs maple and bacon with a crepe filling and is a frequent top pick among regulars.
Don’t expect a quick grab-and-go, either — the three-day lamination process is exactly why the texture is different from a standard bakery donut, and it’s also part of why supply runs out on busy days (more on that below).
Beyond the Donut: Kouign Amann and More
The menu doesn’t stop at the 100 Layer Donut. The Kouign Amann, named “The Quinn” after the Meeks’ fifth daughter Constance Quinn, is a light, crispy caramelized croissant — worth ordering if you want something less sweet than the signature donut but still built on the same laminated-dough technique.
READ MORE: Edley’s Bar-B-Que in Nashville: What to Know Before You Go
Vegan, Gluten-Free, and Paleo Options
This is one of the more underreported parts of the menu. The daily menu includes traditional, vegan, gluten-free, and paleo options, and the paleo donut is entirely free of grains, gluten, dairy, and refined sugar while still built to taste like a real donut rather than a diet substitute. If you’re traveling with someone managing food sensitivities, calling ahead to the specific location is worth it, since not every flavor is available at every shop every day.
Quick takeaway: Order the 100 Layer Donut first — it’s the whole point — but don’t skip the Kouign Amann if you want variety, and know that dietary-specific options genuinely exist here rather than being an afterthought.
Visitor Tips: Timing, Ordering Ahead, and Avoiding a Sellout
The single most common thing that trips up first-time visitors: these shops close once they run out of product, sometimes well before posted closing time. Storefronts can stay open as late as 9-10pm on paper, but a popular flavor can disappear by mid-afternoon on a busy weekend.
A few practical notes for planning a visit:
- Go earlier in the day, especially on weekends, if you want a specific flavor rather than whatever’s left.
- Check the shop’s live camera or social feed before heading over if the location offers one — it’s a fast way to confirm a flavor is still in stock before you drive across town.
- Call ahead for dietary-specific items (vegan, gluten-free, paleo) since inventory varies by location and day.
- Pair a visit with a neighborhood walk — 12 South and East Nashville are both walkable shopping/dining strips, so a donut run doesn’t have to be a standalone stop.
Want more like this? See more nashville food guides on our site.
FAQ Section: 5 Daughters Bakery Nashville
What is the 100 Layer Donut at Five Daughters Bakery?
It’s the bakery’s signature pastry, a cronut-style hybrid of croissant dough and donut shape. It takes three days to laminate, fry, and finish, and comes filled with cream and topped with a glaze.
How many Five Daughters Bakery locations are in Nashville?
There are several storefronts in and around Nashville, including 12 South, East Nashville, The Gulch, and a Broadway/5 Points location, plus the original shop at The Factory in nearby Franklin.
Who owns Five Daughters Bakery?
It’s owned and operated by Isaac and Stephanie Meek, a Franklin, Tennessee couple who founded the bakery in 2015 and named it after their five daughters.
Does Five Daughters Bakery have vegan or gluten-free options?
Yes. The daily menu includes vegan, gluten-free, and paleo donuts alongside the traditional lineup, though specific flavors can vary by location and day.
What time does Five Daughters Bakery sell out?
There’s no fixed time, but popular flavors regularly sell out mid-afternoon on weekends. Shops close for the day once they’re out of product, even if it’s before the posted closing time.
What other pastries does Five Daughters Bakery make besides donuts?
The Kouign Amann (“The Quinn”), a caramelized croissant, is a popular non-donut item, alongside cupcakes and seasonal specialty pastries.
Is Five Daughters Bakery worth the hype?
Review platforms consistently rate it highly — it holds a 4.5-star Tripadvisor rating and ranks among Nashville’s top restaurants by review volume, with visitors most often praising the texture and freshness of the 100 Layer Donut specifically.
