We were lucky to catch up with Donut’ste Doughnuts recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Donut’ste thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?
Donutste story is one of the Best Donut in the World! I’m Chef Shalom and Creator of now viral Donutste Doughnuts, prior to this I never made any doughnuts before. It’s difficult to imagine as now we sell out of our products at almost every single production and large event. Many say it’s the best doughnut they’ve ever had vegan or not. But the origins of the now legend pastry is very unique. I work in partnership with my wife Victoria we are the owners of Donutste. We are always looking to build the team as we are growing fast! There were two goals in mind prior to the creation of Donutste Doughnuts 1) creating a plant based food creation as a chef that could make a difference 2) If I make a doughnut to make the best doughnut in the World. The idea of achieving both of these goals felt challenging primarily due to most plant based / vegan products aren’t seen widely as being the tastiest but I know great plant based food exist and further more I know with love and intention the best doughnut in the world could be plant based! Most tradition doughnuts Krispy Kreme, Dough, Dunkin etc can consist of butter, milk and eggs so the ultimate challenge was not just making a great plant based doughnut but the best one! The number one thing people say is they can’t believe Donutste is plantbased as it’s so fluffy, flavorful, and soft! Then as it’s a chef created brand we design every single glaze to be flavorful and bold. Every doughnut should be an experience and at donutste it is!
Donut’ste, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I am retired private celebrity chef and I had the pleasure for cooking for some amazing individuals! I have consulted restaurants, menu designing, been feature in uptown magazine in the past and essence magazine. Cooked for Sean Combs private offices and teams including Ciroc and Sean John. I also had the pleasure of preparing food on various occasion for the late great Toni Morrison. Now my focus is Donutste Doughnuts as it has my heart from a food perspective. The reception to our product has been unbelievable. It’s something I want to continue to grow for a long long time.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
It’s important to know your product! I think it’s important to know your business and it’s equally important to know your product as well. What I really want to say is you need to know if your product is really a great one and if not improve on it! It’s never to late! People love Donutse and I get consistent amazing reviews but I’m always looking for ways to make the product the best without tinkering with what already actually works! If you look at all the great products in our world it’s really the same! I feel most creators create a product and never take time to tweak after sharing that said product. A great product will eventually speak for itself and then word of mouth will happen. If you have an excellent product other will even travel for it etc. The overall point is no matter how much you love what you create make sure others get your product as they will be the ones supporting it! Find your audience and do your best to keep the product in pole position.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
When I first started making doughnuts it was growing so fast I couldn’t keep up with it! Everyone wanted it! Retail, wholesale etc! It scared me away completely! But after the dust settled I realized I can control my growth and make the decisions that feel right for me and the brand! Don’t be in a rush to grow that’s where the mistakes generally are made! Do what you love and be well informed! You really can’t miss a great opportunity if it’s for you! Now that we relaunched we are clear and growing at a pace we can live with to ensure the success of Donutste!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.donutste.com
- Instagram: Donutstedoughnuts