Chances are when most people walk by Brothers Donuts on Central Street in Franklin, the longstanding shop is closed. 

Owner Malverino Rizzo hoped to capitalize on inquiring minds who walk by after hours with two long decals in the window displaying a dozen donuts (and a few muffins) on offer. Not so fast, said city officials. 

With a strawberry sprinkle donut comes, well, rainbow sprinkles. On a cinnamon toast crunch donut, pieces of cereal are fixed to the top with vanilla glaze. And while the pictures may make people want to wake up at 3 a.m. the next day to buy one, in a city with a historic downtown district, they aren’t in compliance with the color palate and signage requirements – triggering an approval process.

Cue a packed house on the second floor of the Franklin Public Library for a Heritage Commission meeting Monday night. While Rizzo made his case for the signage, with dozens of residents in support, commission members took the opportunity to clarify the procedure and, ultimately, support the measure.

“I think we can all be in agreement here that Brothers has been a long-term business in the city of Franklin, a well-respected business in the city of Franklin,” said Chair Glen Feener. “Everybody loves their donuts.”

While the board approved the decals – with the requirement for zoning board approval regarding the size of the signs – conversation about Franklin’s downtown has taken center stage at meetings over the last few years.

With new additions like Mill City Park, city leaders hope to bring new economic forces to help reinvigorate Central Street. But residents also say the focus on new businesses should be complemented by supporting staple institutions.

Brothers is one of those hallmark destinations.

Kathy Forge raised her kids in Franklin. As long-term residents, her family knows that Brothers is there. But she’s also traveled to a number of other towns and storefront signage is often what entices her and her husband to stop in.

These decals could be the difference for drawing new customers into Brothers.

“We’re looking for revitalization in Franklin. I’ve seen a lot of growth in Franklin,” she said. “I think that signage being both as a menu and bringing customers in is a good thing for Franklin, versus the negative.”

For the early birds (or night owls), the bakery opens at 3 a.m. For the eager (or all-knowing), orders can be placed over the phone or by Facebook. But the first-timers often learn the hard way that by 10 a.m., most of their homemade donuts are sold out.

By 11 a.m. the doors are locked and the lights turned off. The shop is also closed Sunday through Tuesday.

To the dozens of Franklin residents at the meeting, the procedure in front of a board was an added hurdle for a business that the city should be looking to support.

For Marty Russo, the Central Street bakery has been a centerpiece of the city’s downtown. Sure, a picture of a chocolate donut might not fall within the exact color scheme the city has outlined. But an institution like Brothers should receive some leeway.

“Anybody who has lived in or around Franklin knows Brothers Donuts... It’s a fixture,” he said. “Please support this business, which has supported Franklin for as long as it has been here.”

Mayor Desiree McLaughlin thought so, too.

McLaughlin made the case for the signage, introducing herself as a citizen in front of the board that night. Her family serves as the donut shop’s landlords, and to her, the unapproved signage was the result of a mere miscommunication with the city about procedures.

“I believe the crux of this problem is that Mal was not aware that that’s considered signage. It’s a menu,” she said. “He doesn’t have a drive-through and a million locations. He was just trying to stay viable as a small business in a changing environment.”

McLaughlin’s case to the board was accompanied by a petition with hundreds of signatures, from both Franklin residents and out-of-town Brothers Donuts fans, she said.

Rizzo also took to posting on Facebook ahead of the meeting with a plea for signatures in support of the signs, which led to the full house for the hearing.

Despite the turnout, and overwhelming support of Brothers, the hearing was typical protocol the business should have followed before hanging the signs, board members said.

The volunteer board convenes under authority from New Hampshire state law and is tasked with reviewing applications for alterations to buildings in the “historic district” – i ncluding painting of or additions to any exterior features.

These features must fall within the city’s designated color palate – which includes muted colors from a list of approved Historic Colors of America swatches – and brick and stone can’t be painted over without approval.

“It is not the purpose of this commission to make life difficult for businesses,” said Leigh Webb, the city council representative on the commission. “The purpose of this commission is to work with those businesses for a solution that benefits all of us.”

Commission members agreed that the look of the sign warranted some variance from the approved colors and voted to support the decals. One requirement came with it – Rizzo next needs to check with the planning board to ensure they’re within size regulations.

While Brothers Donuts’ signs received the first approval from this board, Debbie Auger came prepared to convince.

She arrived to the library with a tray of Brothers Donuts in hand, cut into small pieces and prepared with a toothpick for audience members to try.

As a small business owner herself, she empathized with the creativity needed these days to sell a product, she said. It’s half the battle for owners.

To her, a menu-like sticker for the windows could be the difference between bringing people into the shop, or losing customers who walk by without knowing what they serve.

“You gotta do everything you can to try to make a living,” said Auger. “To me, if that’s what they need to get customers in the door, I fully support it."