Peace Love & Little Donuts

What Peace Love & Little Donuts does

Peace Love & Little Donuts is a privately-held specialty mini-donut franchise founded in 2009 by Ron and Marci Razete in Pittsburgh's Strip District. The company's signature product is a small-format, approximately tennis-ball-sized mini donut that emerged by accident when a small donut machine hopper was assembled differently than intended — a narrative the company brands as the "Holy Accident." Operationally, the business produces over 50 flavor variants organized into four product lines (Funkadelic, Funkadelic with Nuts, Far-Out, and Groovy); donuts are decorated with frostings and toppings in real time at the point of order, supporting customization and creating a visible preparation experience for customers.

Revenue is generated through three primary streams: retail donut sales at franchised storefronts (with price points of approximately $10 per half-dozen and $18 per dozen based on customer reviews), ancillary sales of coffee, cold beverages, and branded merchandise, and a catering line that includes the Disco Party Box (three dozen pre-ordered donuts) plus on-site warm donut bar service for weddings, corporate events, and similar occasions. Distribution combines a website store locator, a branded iOS/Android mobile app powered by Applova, third-party delivery via DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub, and ezCater for large catering orders. The franchise development pipeline — Initial Inquiry, NDA/FDD review, Qualification Questionnaire, site visit, Territory Application with deposit, and Franchise Agreement signing — is formalized centrally, with franchisees paying an initial franchise fee and ongoing royalties.

The franchise system has grown from a 209 sq ft flagship to 25+ retail locations across 12 U.S. states (Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia). Primary customer segments are individual consumers (tourists, families, locals) and event hosts/planners seeking distinctive catering options. The founders remain actively involved and there is no disclosed private equity, venture capital, or parent-company ownership; a Franchise Development Director (Jeff Bennett) manages prospective franchisee flow alongside the founders.

Name

Peace Love & Little Donuts

Legal name

PEACE, LOVE AND LITTLE DONUTS

Website

https://peaceloveandlittledonuts.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Peace Love & Little Donuts is a specialty mini donut franchise founded in 2009 in Pittsburgh, operating 25+ franchised locations across 12 U.S. states. The company serves consumers and event hosts with made-to-order mini donuts, catering, coffee, and merchandise.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Donut Bakery

NAICS

Baked Goods Retailers (445291), Retail Bakeries (311811)

SIC

Bakery Products (2050)

akta.pro primary industry

Donut Shops (THAFAGAE)

Keywords

• Mini donut bakery
• Specialty donut chain
• Donut franchise opportunities
• Donut catering services
• Made-to-order donuts

Headquarters

HQ city

Coraopolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Retail Donut Sales: Direct sales of mini donuts to consumers at retail store locations. Donuts are sold individually, in half-dozen, dozen, or larger quantities. Each location also sells coffee, cold beverages, and merchandise (clothing items such as sweatshirts, tees, and ballcaps).
2. Online Ordering: Customers place orders through the company's website or Applova mobile app for in-store pickup or delivery through third-party platforms.
3. Catering Services: Corporate and personal event catering including the Disco Party Box (3 dozen pre-ordered donuts) and warm donut bar service where fresh donuts are decorated on-site for events by staff. Large orders facilitated through ezCater.
4. Franchise Fees and Royalties: Franchisees pay an initial franchise fee and ongoing royalties for the right to operate Peace Love and Little Donuts locations. The franchise development process includes an Initial Inquiry, NDA/FDD review, Qualification Questionnaire, site visit, Territory Application with deposit, and Franchise Agreement signing.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Peace Love & Little Donuts produces and sells made-to-order mini donuts (approximately tennis-ball-sized) in 50+ flavor varieties across four product lines at franchised bakery storefronts. The company pairs in-store retail with catering services for events (Disco Party Box, on-site warm donut bars) and licenses its brand through a franchise program that includes site selection, training, and ongoing operational support.

Product overview

Peace Love & Little Donuts is a specialty donut chain offering made-to-order mini donuts in four distinct product lines: Funkadelic (gourmet elaborate toppings like Boston Cream and Cherry Cheesecake), Groovy (classic simple glazes like Cinnamon Sugar and Honey Glazed), Far-Out (simple frostings like Chocolate and Maple), and Funkadelic with Nuts (nut-containing varieties). The company operates a franchise model across multiple U.S. states, providing catering services for events, and offers online ordering through their website and mobile app.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Mini Donuts Made-to-order specialty mini donuts (approximately tennis-ball-sized) offered in 50+ flavor varieties across four product lines — Funkadelic (gourmet elaborate toppings such as Apple Pie, Boston Cream, Birthday Cake), Funkadelic with Nuts (Almond Brothers, Chaka Pecan, Elvis, Snick Jagger), Far-Out (simple frostings such as Chocolate, Vanilla, Maple), and Groovy (classic glazes such as Cinnamon Sugar, Honey Glazed, Powdered Sugar). Decorated to order in-store and sold individually, by the half-dozen, dozen, or larger quantities to retail customers.
• Catering Services Event catering including the Disco Party Box (3 dozen pre-ordered donuts) and warm donut bar service with on-site staff decoration for weddings, birthday parties, baby showers, graduations, family reunions, anniversaries, tailgating, corporate meetings, and charity events. Large orders are facilitated through ezCater.
• Franchise Program Franchise offering providing prospective franchisees with a structured development process (Initial Inquiry, NDA/FDD review, Qualification Questionnaire, on-site store visit, Territory Application with deposit, and Franchise Agreement), plus site selection assistance, comprehensive training, store opening support, and ongoing brand and operational support.
• Online Ordering Digital ordering service allowing customers to place orders through the company website and dedicated iOS/Android mobile app (powered by Applova) for in-store pickup or for delivery via integrated third-party platforms.

Quantifiable outcome

• Customer reviews consistently highlight the ability to try multiple flavors and the fun, interactive experience of watching donuts made to order
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• GrubhubminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird-party food delivery platform integration allowing customers to order Peace Love and Little Donuts products for delivery through the Grubhub marketplace.
• DoorDashminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird-party food delivery platform integration allowing customers to order Peace Love and Little Donuts products for delivery through the DoorDash marketplace.
• Uber EatsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird-party food delivery platform integration allowing customers to order Peace Love and Little Donuts products for delivery through the Uber Eats marketplace.
• ezCaterminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCatering platform partnership for managing large catering orders. Featured on individual store pages (e.g., Morgantown, Wexford, Southlake, Robinson Twp) for bulk and event catering.
• ApplovacoreTechnology or IntegrationMobile ordering platform provider powering the company's digital ordering experience. Provides the online ordering system linked on the website and app store badges.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Mochinut: Mochinut is a rapidly expanding mochi-donut franchise combining a novel dough format with made-to-order toppings and franchising, comparable in format innovation and franchise growth dynamics to PLLD's mini-donut pivot.
• Five Daughters Bakery: Five Daughters Bakery is a fast-growing specialty donut and 100-layer cronut concept with a strong Instagram-driven brand, comparable as a newer specialty donut brand taking share from traditional donut shops.

Regional players

• Honey Dew Donuts: Honey Dew Donuts is a regional New England donut chain offering a value-oriented assortment, comparable as a multi-state regional donut brand with similar franchise-style expansion pressures and competitive dynamics.

Broad incumbents

• Krispy Kreme: Krispy Kreme is a national and global donut QSR incumbent with hot-now theater, broad distribution, and significantly larger brand spend, providing the broad incumbent benchmark for any specialty donut concept.
• Dunkin': Dunkin' is the largest US donut/coffee QSR chain, anchoring the category with massive scale, beverage breadth, and digital infrastructure, which is the dominant competitive backdrop for PLLD's positioning.
• Shipley Do-Nuts: Shipley Do-Nuts is a regional/US-wide donut chain with a strong franchise model, comparable to PLLD as a multi-state franchised donut brand and a baseline for unit-economics comparison.

Direct peers

• Duck Donuts: Duck Donuts is a made-to-order mini donut franchise with similar format (small-format, customizable, vanilla-cake-based, made fresh in front of the customer) and franchise growth model across the US, making it the closest direct comparable to Peace Love & Little Donuts.
• Voodoo Doughnut: Voodoo Doughnut is a cult experiential specialty donut brand with strong visual identity and creative flavors sold through retail shops, directly competing with PLLD's experiential, Instagram-worthy positioning.
• District Donuts: District Donuts is a specialty donut + coffee concept offering creative rotating flavors in a polished retail environment, comparable to PLLD's gourmet mini-donut, made-to-order experience and flavor-led differentiation.
• The Donut Experiment: The Donut Experiment is a made-to-order mini donut franchise where customers build custom donuts from a toppings bar, highly comparable to PLLD's make-your-own, in-store decorating experience and franchise model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/PLLDoftheStripDistrict
• Xx.com/plldnaples

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Peace Love & Little Donuts