A Ridiculously Good Donut
by Aldona Bird
Photos by Aldona Bird
Jeannie McGartland described the blueberry donuts at Peace Love and Little Donuts as “life changing.” McGartland, sophomore acting major, said she first saw the doughnuts when she went with friends to the Strip District “we saw people walking around with bags of little donuts, and I was like, ‘what are those? We have to get some.’”
Now she's sold on them because they are fresh, small, and she does not feel “gross” after eating them.
For Ron Razete, owner of the store at 2018 Smallman St., McGartland's endorsement is just another in a long line of positive feedback that has turned a whim into a business.
Ten years ago, Razete bought some doughnut making equipment that came without manual or directions. He set it up in his living room. “We thought, may as well plug it in and see if we can make a donut” Razete said. From there, the experiment grew to a doughnut concession business, working outdoor events. When costumers complimented them on their donuts Razete and his family “...just thought they were being nice.”
After the success of their first indoor event, a four day-long hockey tournament last year, Razete began to consider opening a permanent shop. His wife wasn't enthusiastic at first. They had already concluded that health regulations and the cost of equipment and rent made a shop not worth their while.
But, after looking at possible locations, they decided to give it a try at 2018 Smallman Street because “the Strip still has some of its vibrancy.”
Peace Love and Little Donuts opened in August, the day they got the health inspection, because Razete didn't want to miss even one sale. It has proved wildly popular. One Saturday last month customers lined up outside the door for five continuous hours. The Little and Mini Donuts range in price, from $0.75 for a simple single to $13.50 for a dozen fancier donuts.
Razete attributes the doughnuts popularity to their freshness- the same day as costumers wait, adding that he knows all the bakeries in the area, and none sells doughnuts as fresh as his. The bakers make and top doughnuts at Peace Love and Little Donuts while customers watch.
When the shop first opened, Razete and his family made only mini donuts with powdered sugar or cinnamon topping, with traditional vanilla dough. Now an expanded menu includes Old Fashioned, Blueberry and Devils-food, with a variety of frosting, sprinkles and other toppers, in both Mini and Little sizes. Razete said “I usually eat one donut a day, and that is the Blueberry.”
Razete said they go through hundreds of pounds of batter per weekend. His youngest son, 11, mixes the batter. The other four children also help their father in the donut shop, as does their mother when she is not working. “It is a family affair” Razete said.
Chelsea Carroll, sophomore dance major, noticed the family behind the counter, “smiling and waving” the first time she went to the shop. One reason she likes the donuts so much is that they are made by a local family-owned business.
Customers often praise the doughnuts at Peace Love and Little Donuts as the best they have ever had. Razete cites word of mouth as their only marketing. He says, “our only advertising is making a ridiculously good donut.”
Aldona Bird can be reached at ambird@pointpark.edu
this article was published in the Point Park Globe.
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