Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Vu Cao. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Vu, thanks for joining us today. One of the most important things small businesses can do, in our view, is to serve underserved communities that are ignored by giant corporations who often are just creating mass-market, one-size-fits-all solutions. Talk to us about how you serve an underserved community.

There is an underserved community in the world of baking specifically to those who have specific allergies. In the growing realm of food allergies, food service has done a great job in providing alternative options for customers but baking is an area where this has been a slower movement. When you think of baking you think of flour, milk and eggs specifically. When we first started, we used all three of these ingredients across all of our products. We experienced spreading joy through baking but started to notice how many people we were unable to reach. Slowly, Vu started playing with recipes and figuring out what substitutions could be made to spread more joy. It started with replacing standard flour with gluten free flours and offering specialized products that didn’t contain gluten. From there began a transformation in substituting ingredients in a way that elevated ourregular products in a way that could reach more customers. Providing yeast raised donuts that don’t include any dairy or eggs has allowed us to provide experiences to customers that they have had to do without for years on end. Experiencing the feeling of having a delicious “normal” donut for the first time in a decade is something special that we get to share with our customers. It provides a more inclusive environment. We all get to be a part of a lasting memory and that kind of joy is a fuel for us. Its what keeps us moving.

Vu, 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?

When we first moved to Austin for college, we discovered how unique and amazing the food culture was here. Some of our first memories were ordering Tiff’s Treats Cookies in my Jester Dorm room or walking down to the drag to get a bubble tea. Ever since then, we’ve just been inspired to find our next favorite foods. At some point, we finally just wanted to be a part of and add to the amazing food culture by making what we love and sharing it with as many people as possible. The hope was that we could provide that experience for others. Our baking process has always been striking a balance between the artistry of creating and innovating with new flavors and recipes, while making sure to commit to the craftsmanship of those ideas by making them over and over again until they are the very best translation of that product. Experimenting with ideas that excite us is personally fulfilling, but changing for the sake of changing can come off as gimmicky sometimes. It was always important to us to make sure to fully develop each new idea to make our products special. Each product has a purpose. We carried this through to the design of our space as well. Our hope for the design of our space, along with the products that we serve, was to elevate the expectation of what a typical neighborhood donut shop should look and taste like. We wanted a space modern but cozy and welcoming. A place where students could find their perfect place to study. A place where groups of friends or families would want to hang out and create memories. We have a library of books and board games and we hang local artwork. We’ve always been drawn to the concept of a “third place” and we wanted to provide an environment where this was possible. We have always wanted to reach our customers in a way that extends beyond food. We wanted to create a community, a family of sorts, that sticks together through tough times. We saw the results of this most vividly through COVID. We had a community that stuck together, that supported each other, through one of the toughest times most of us have ever seen. This experience has been so rewarding for us and the community we have built is invaluable.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

We have always paid close attention to the artistry and presentation of our food. We may not be a Michelin star restaurant, but that doesn’t mean we can’t provide something beautiful. Social media is all about capturing that beauty. Through our diligence to the quality and artistry of our products, we were able to capture that beauty to share with our customers. We were able to provide our customers with something to share with their friends and family. We all eat with our eyes and the more beautiful something is, the more we want it. Presentation matters. The details matter. Its how we experience passion through food.

Any advice for managing a team?

Managing a team is all about providing value. For us, we didn’t just want to have employees. We wanted to invite others into our family. Having our employees as a part of our family creates a level of commitment that we need to provide the type of service to our customers that we wanted. Providing responsibility to employees is a way to instill confidence and pride in them. That confidence leads to them being a part of something special. They don’t just work for us. They don’t just serve our products for us. They serve our shared creations and our bonds to customers and the customers can feel that extra level. It means something more. We are building something together as a team and there is nothing more special than that.

Contact Info:

• Website: angeldonuts.com
• Instagram: @angeldonuts
• Facebook: facebook.com/angeldonuts
• Twitter: @angeldonuts