Sidecar Doughnuts

What Sidecar Doughnuts does

Sidecar Doughnuts is a privately held craft doughnut and coffee retailer founded in 2012 and headquartered in Costa Mesa, California. The company operates 9 company-owned retail stores — 8 across Southern California (Costa Mesa, Santa Monica, Torrance, Del Mar, Manhattan Beach, Culver City, Fairfax/Los Angeles, Pasadena) and 1 in Salt Lake City, Utah — producing made-from-scratch doughnuts, signature coffee and espresso beverages, and ancillary offerings such as gift cards, branded merchandise, and pre-packaged variety packs. Sidecar serves individual retail consumers as its primary customer base, with secondary catering operations requiring a minimum 7-dozen order for events and corporate clients.

The business model is direct-to-consumer retail, generating revenue through in-store transactions, catering orders, gift card sales, and third-party delivery via Uber Eats, Postmates, DoorHub, and GrubHub. Customer engagement is anchored by a mobile app loyalty program (5 points per $1 spent), which functions as a retention mechanism and data collection point, supplemented by community programs including SideCares (charitable initiatives), Sidecar Stories (content), and the #SidecarClub ambassador network. The company has invested in brand-building through Food Network and Cooking Channel media features and Restaurant Design Awards recognition, positioning itself as a premium craft alternative to commodity doughnut chains.

The company is privately held with no disclosed franchise offering, no external funding rounds, no institutional investors referenced, and no headcount or financial disclosures provided. Operational evidence suggests a controlled, single-brand, company-operated model focused on retail execution, in-house production, and localized brand experience rather than franchising, licensing, or asset-light growth.

Name

Sidecar Doughnuts

Legal name

Sidecar Doughnuts

Website

https://sidecardoughnuts.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Sidecar Doughnuts is a privately held craft doughnut and coffee retailer operating 9 company-owned stores across California and Utah, serving individual consumers and catering clients with made-from-scratch doughnuts, coffee, and a mobile loyalty program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Doughnut and Coffee Shop

NAICS

Retail Bakeries (311811), Baked Goods Retailers (445291), Bakeries and Tortilla Manufacturing (3118)

SIC

Bakery Products (2050)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYTHAFAGAE

Donut Shops

Travel & Hospitality/Foodservice & Beverage (Restaurants, Cafes, Bars)/Dessert, Ice Cream & Specialty Sweets Shops

SECONDARYTHAFAAAK

Dessert QSR (Ice Cream, Donuts, Cookies)

Travel & Hospitality/Foodservice & Beverage (Restaurants, Cafes, Bars)/Quick-Service Restaurants (QSR)

SECONDARYAFAKAHAH

Breakfast & brunch prepared items manufacturing

Agriculture & Food Production/Food Processing & Manufacturing/Prepared Meals, Ready-to-Eat & Convenience Foods Manufacturing

Keywords

• Artisan doughnut retail
• Specialty coffee beverages
• Craft doughnut catering
• Bakery cafe operations
• Mobile loyalty rewards

Headquarters

HQ city

Costa Mesa

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Doughnut Retail: Individual doughnut sales at retail locations. Offers daily flavors, seasonal rotating flavors, gluten-friendly weekly options, and monthly vegan options. Sold individually or in packs (6-pack, 12-pack).
2. Coffee and Beverages: Full coffee program including signature blend espresso, lattes, cold brew, Vietnamese iced coffee, chai, matcha, and seasonal specialties. Also offers tea, hot chocolate, and milk.
3. Catering and Events: Corporate events, weddings, parties, baby showers, and birthdays. Minimum 7 dozen order with 72 hours notice. Offers custom flavor collaborations for brand events.
4. Gift Cards: Electronic and physical gift cards available in any denomination, valid at all locations.
5. Merchandise: Branded apparel, hats, coffee mugs, and accessories available via separate merch website (sidecarmerch.com).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Sidecar Doughnuts hand-makes premium doughnuts from scratch every hour in small batches using high-quality, seasonal ingredients with zero preservatives, and pairs them with signature-blend espresso beverages. The products are sold directly to consumers through company-owned retail stores, an owned mobile app for online ordering and loyalty rewards, and an event/catering channel.

Product overview

Sidecar Doughnuts is a craft doughnut and coffee company operating as a unified retail/hospitality brand. The core offerings center on hand-crafted, made-from-scratch doughnuts produced fresh hourly and signature blend espresso beverages, supported by a proprietary mobile app with integrated loyalty rewards (Sidecar Doughnuts App with Rewards Program). The product portfolio spans Doughnuts and Coffee as the primary offerings, supplemented by Online Ordering, Catering Services, Gift Cards, and Merchandise. Community engagement sub-brands include Sidecar Stories (documentary storytelling) and the SideCares Program (philanthropy). The company also maintains an Ambassadors Program for social media advocacy. All offerings are sold through company-owned retail locations across California and Utah, with delivery supported via third-party platforms (Postmates, UberEats, DoorDash, GrubHub).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Hand-crafted doughnuts Small-batch, scratch-made doughnuts produced hourly in-store using seasonal ingredients with zero preservatives; sold individually, by the half-dozen, or by the dozen to retail consumers across company-owned storefronts and through the mobile app.
• Specialty coffee and espresso beverages Espresso-based drinks brewed from Sidecar's signature blend, served alongside doughnuts as a complementary in-store and to-go offering.
• Sidecar Loyalty mobile app and online ordering Proprietary mobile application that enables direct online ordering and houses the Sidecar Loyalty rewards program, providing a direct consumer channel for digital orders and repeat-visit incentives.
• Catering and event orders Bulk doughnut orders (trays, dozens, branded boxes) for corporate events, private gatherings, weddings, and meetings, with minimum-order thresholds and advance notice requirements, fulfilled within the company's California and Utah service regions.
• Branded merchandise and gift cards Sidecar-branded apparel, accessories, and gift cards sold through company storefronts as ancillary retail merchandise.

Quantifiable outcome

• Earn 5 points per $1 spent through loyalty program
• +3 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Race ForwardminorOthersCommunity partnership through SideCares program. Race Forward is a racial justice organization. Sidecar collaborates with non-profits whose causes align with company values.
• Color of ChangeminorOthersCommunity partnership through SideCares program. Color of Change is a racial justice organization. Sidecar collaborates with non-profits whose causes align with company values.
• CCEJ (California Church IMPACT)minorOthersCommunity partnership through SideCares program. CCEJ is a faith-based community organization.
• The Trevor ProjectminorOthersCommunity partnership through SideCares program. The Trevor Project provides crisis intervention and suicide prevention services for LGBTQ youth.
• Habitat for HumanityminorOthersCommunity partnership through SideCares program. Habitat for Humanity builds affordable housing for families in need.
• March of DimesminorOthersCommunity partnership through SideCares program. March of Dimes supports maternal and infant health initiatives.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA)minorOthersCommunity partnership through SideCares program. BGCA provides youth development programs.
• Charity WaterminorOthersCommunity partnership through SideCares program. Charity Water brings clean water to people in need.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Blue Star Donuts: Portland-grown premium doughnut concept emphasizing brioche-style recipes and creative seasonal flavors. Comparable on artisanal positioning and small-batch production.
• Voodoo Doughnut: Portland-based premium craft doughnut chain with national footprint and cult-brand status. Direct comparable on craft positioning, novelty flavors, and retail-led growth model.
• Sprinkles Cupcakes: Premium cupcake/cookie chain founded in California with adjacent upscale dessert retail positioning. Comparable on West Coast premium dessert retail with national brand recognition.
• Top Pot Doughnuts: Seattle-based premium doughnut and coffee chain with multi-location retail presence. Comparable on craft doughnut + coffee pairing and design-forward store experiences.
• Doughnut Plant: Pioneering NYC premium doughnut maker known for inventive flavors and hybrid offerings. Comparable product innovation and specialty positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Krispy Kreme: Mass-market doughnut chain with broad national and international footprint. Competes for the same doughnut occasion but at very different price point and scale.
• Dunkin': Mass-market coffee and doughnut QSR chain. Overlaps on coffee + doughnut pairings and digital loyalty program, but at scale and lower price point.
• Stumptown Coffee Roasters: Specialty coffee roaster and cafe concept. Comparable on signature coffee program and craft positioning paired with premium retail food experience.

Regional players

• Randy's Donuts: Iconic Southern California doughnut shop with strong local brand recognition. Same regional SoCal market but lower premium positioning than Sidecar.
• Lamill Coffee Roastery: LA-based specialty coffee roaster and cafe. Comparable coffee program and SoCal premium cafe retail positioning.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sidecardoughnuts

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Sidecar Doughnuts