The Holy Donut
The Holy Donut is a donut shop and bakery that sells gourmet and donuts.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersPortland, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What The Holy Donut does
The Holy Donut is a privately held, family-owned artisan donut bakery founded in 2012 in Portland, Maine by Leigh Kellis. The company produces Maine potato donuts — a signature recipe using Maine russet and sweet potatoes — made from scratch daily, with a rotating menu of roughly 20 flavors including a dedicated gluten-free line produced in a separate room with dedicated equipment. It operates four retail locations across Maine (Portland Commercial Street, Portland Park Avenue, Scarborough, and Brunswick) and a commissary facility, supported by a workforce of more than 120 team members.
The business generates revenue across five distinct streams: in-store and online retail donut sales (capped at $150 per local pickup order), wholesale distribution of frozen individually wrapped donuts through major distributors such as SYSCO and PFG plus regional specialty distributors and select Hannaford supermarkets, coast-to-coast shipping via Shopify, large-order catering (4 dozen minimum) for weddings and corporate events, and ancillary merchandise and gift cards. Its go-to-market combines direct-to-consumer retail, multi-distributor wholesale, and event-driven catering, with brand-building concentrated in organic social media (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest) and community programs including a United Way of Southern Maine partnership.
Strategically, the company is in an active expansion phase: it launched coast-to-coast shipping in 2023 and opened its fourth Maine retail location in Brunswick in January 2024. Ownership remains concentrated in the founding family (Leigh Kellis, with operational involvement of siblings Elizabeth and Allan, and brother-in-law Jeff Buckwalter), with no disclosed institutional investors or external funding events.
The Holy Donut firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Holy Donut
- Legal name
- he Holy Donut
- Website
- https://www.theholydonut.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- The Holy Donut is a donut shop and bakery that sells gourmet and donuts.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Holy Donut industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Artisan Bakery
- NAICS
- Retail Bakeries (311811), Baked Goods Retailers (445291), Cookie and Cracker Manufacturing (311821)
- SIC
- Bakery Products (2050), Retail-Food Stores (5400), Sugar & Confectionery Products (2060)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Donut Shops (THAFAGAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Specialty Bakery Manufacturing (Gluten-Free, Artisan, Health-Focused) (AFAKAAAG), Bread & Pastry Specialty Stores (CRAHAGAC), Artisan & Specialty Bakeries (Sourdough, Heritage Grains) (THAFAFAD)
Keywords
Where The Holy Donut is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Portland
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices5 records
Markets served
The Holy Donut business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Large Order / Catering: Event catering orders of 4 dozen or more donuts for weddings, parties, and corporate events, processed through event coordinator with advance scheduling.
- Retail Donut Sales: In-store and online ordering sales of gourmet Maine potato donuts at 4 retail locations across Maine. Donuts are made from scratch daily and each location closes upon selling out.
- Wholesale Distribution: Bulk sales of frozen, individually wrapped donuts to distributors (SYSCO, PFG, Northeast Specialty Foods, Native Maine, Dennis Foods, North Atlantic Naturals) for resale at cafes, markets, and retail locations throughout New England.
- Coast-to-Coast Shipping: Shipping program delivering donuts nationally, hosted on Shopify platform, allowing customers outside Maine to purchase donuts for delivery.
- Merchandise Sales: Sales of branded merchandise including clothing, hats, mugs, stickers, household items, and accessories. Online merchandise orders processed weekly on Wednesdays.
- Gift Cards: Sale of physical and electronic gift cards in $10, $25, $50, and $100 denominations, redeemable at retail locations.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Gift Cards |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels7 records
The Holy Donut product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Holy Donut is a family-owned gourmet bakery that handcrafts Maine potato donuts from scratch daily across a rotating menu of approximately 20 flavors, including dedicated gluten-free options. The company sells these donuts through four owned retail locations in Maine, online ordering for local pickup, coast-to-coast shipping nationwide, and wholesale distribution to cafes, markets, and retailers throughout New England.
Product overview
The Holy Donut is a family-owned gourmet donut bakery offering Maine potato donuts as its core product. The business operates a multi-location retail footprint (Portland Commercial St., Portland Park Ave., Scarborough, and Brunswick) plus a nationwide shipping service. The product portfolio centers on handcrafted donuts with approximately 20 rotating flavors, including dedicated gluten-free options produced in a separate facility. Supplementary offerings include wholesale distribution to retailers and cafes, online ordering with advance scheduling, large order/event catering (4 dozen minimum), branded merchandise (clothing, accessories, household items), Wicked Joe organic coffee, and physical/e-gift cards. The company uses Shopify for its e-commerce platform.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Maine Potato Donuts Handcrafted gourmet donuts made from Maine potatoes, available in approximately 20 rotating flavors daily including classics like Dark Chocolate Sea Salt, Fresh Lemon, Maple, and seasonal varieties; made from scratch daily at 4 Maine retail locations.
- Gluten Free Donuts
Quantifiable outcome
- More than 120 team members across locations and commissary facility
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use The Holy Donut
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
The Holy Donut technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
Feature3 records
The Holy Donut partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- SYSCOcoreSYSCO is one of the current distributors for The Holy Donut wholesale products, distributing frozen donuts to retail locations throughout the distribution network.
- PFG (Performance Food Group)corePFG is a current distributor for The Holy Donut wholesale products, enabling distribution to cafes, markets, and retailers.
- Northeast Specialty FoodscoreSpecialty food distributor carrying The Holy Donut wholesale products in the Northeast region.
- Native MainecoreRegional distributor representing The Holy Donut in Maine distribution network.
- Dennis FoodscoreRegional food distributor carrying The Holy Donut wholesale products for retail distribution.
- North Atlantic NaturalscoreRegional specialty food distributor carrying The Holy Donut products.
- Hannaford SupermarketscoreSelect Hannaford Super Markets in New England carry The Holy Donut products for retail sale.
- United Way of Southern MainecoreStrategic community partnership allowing customization of giving back programs. United Way has been a powerful local force for good since 1929, tackling issues like food insecurity, housing instability, literacy gaps, and healthcare access. The Holy Donut supports through volunteer time off matching, end-of-day donations, and planned giving.
- Amtrak DowneasterminorAmtrak Downeaster trains carry The Holy Donut products for sale to passengers.
- Portland JetportminorPortland Jetport airport location carries The Holy Donut products for travelers.
- Rusty Lantern LocationsminorAll Rusty Lantern convenience store locations carry The Holy Donut products.
- Tiller & RyeminorTiller & Rye brewer location carries The Holy Donut products.
- Wicked Joe Organic CoffeescoreFamily-owned Maine coffee company providing organic, Fair Trade certified coffee specially blended for The Holy Donut. Coffee is served in all Holy Donut shops and sold as merchandise. Wicked Joe operates a sustainable, energy-efficient roastery and works directly with farmers.
- Seawicks Candle CompanyminorMaine candle company based in Edgecomb that crafts exclusive soy candles for The Holy Donut. Candles are inspired by donut flavors (Chocolate Sea Salt, Maple, Blueberry, etc.) with 30 hours burn time, sold as merchandise.
- Brunswick High SchoolminorStudent art project partnership where high school art students designed stickers sold at Holy Donut locations. Proceeds from sticker sales go to Brunswick High School art department.
- Kennebunk High SchoolminorStudent art project partnership where high school art students designed stickers sold at Holy Donut locations. Proceeds from sticker sales go to Kennebunk High School art department.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
The Holy Donut competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Duck Donuts: Duck Donuts is a franchise-based gourmet donut chain specializing in made-to-order warm donuts. It is a direct peer to The Holy Donut given its specialty donut positioning, multi-location retail footprint, and direct-to-consumer focus.
- Voodoo Doughnut: Voodoo Doughnut is a gourmet, artisanal donut chain known for eclectic flavors and a strong brand identity. It is highly comparable to The Holy Donut as a specialty donut destination with multiple locations, distinctive flavors, and cult-brand appeal.
- Top Pot Doughnuts: Top Pot Doughnuts is an artisan donut and coffee chain based in Seattle, offering a curated menu of classic and specialty donuts. Comparable to The Holy Donut in its premium positioning, handcrafted production, and multi-location retail model.
- Federal Donuts: Federal Donuts is a Philadelphia-based gourmet donut and fried chicken concept. Comparable to The Holy Donut as a premium, multi-location specialty donut shop with rotating flavor menus and strong local brand identity.
- Five Daughters Bakery: Five Daughters Bakery is a 100-layer donuts and pastries concept with locations across the Southeast U.S. Comparable to The Holy Donut as a specialty donut and pastry retailer with a strong brand and rotating creative flavors.
- Glory Hole Doughnuts: Glory Hole Doughnuts is a Maine-based artisan donut shop. It is a direct peer operating in the same geography as The Holy Donut with a comparable specialty/artisan positioning and local brand identity.
Broad incumbents
- Krispy Kreme: Krispy Kreme is a national specialty donut chain with global presence. It is a broad incumbent operating in the same product category as The Holy Donut, though it competes primarily on mass-market scale rather than artisan/gourmet positioning.
- Dunkin': Dunkin' is a national coffee and donut chain with deep New England presence, including locations across Maine. It is a broad incumbent in the donut and coffee category, providing scale competition but at a mass-market rather than artisanal positioning.
Regional players
- Wicked Good Donuts: Wicked Good Donuts is a New England donut brand similar to The Holy Donut. It is a regional player in the same geography with comparable artisan positioning and a multi-location retail presence.
- Coco Donuts: Coco Donuts is a New England-based specialty donut chain. It is a regional player comparable to The Holy Donut in its geographic focus on the Northeast and its premium donut retail model.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The Holy Donut social profiles
Digital presenceThe Holy Donut financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Holy Donut leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
The Holy Donut funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Holy Donut M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Holy Donut
What does The Holy Donut do?
The Holy Donut is a family-owned gourmet bakery that handcrafts Maine potato donuts from scratch daily across a rotating menu of approximately 20 flavors, including dedicated gluten-free options. The company sells these donuts through four owned retail locations in Maine, online ordering for local pickup, coast-to-coast shipping nationwide, and wholesale distribution to cafes, markets, and retailers throughout New England.
Is The Holy Donut a public or private company?
The Holy Donut is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was The Holy Donut founded?
The Holy Donut was founded in 2011. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is The Holy Donut based?
The Holy Donut is headquartered in Portland, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Holy Donut make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Large Order / Catering is the primary driver. The others are retail Donut Sales, wholesale Distribution, coast-to-Coast Shipping, merchandise Sales and gift Cards.
Who are The Holy Donut's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Duck Donuts, Voodoo Doughnut, Top Pot Doughnuts, Federal Donuts, Five Daughters Bakery and Glory Hole Doughnuts. Broad incumbents are Krispy Kreme and Dunkin'. Regional players are Wicked Good Donuts and Coco Donuts.
Does The Holy Donut have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Holy Donut.
What industry is The Holy Donut in?
The Holy Donut's product category is Artisan Bakery. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFAGAE, Donut Shops, with a secondary code of AFAKAAAG, Specialty Bakery Manufacturing (Gluten-Free, Artisan, Health-Focused). Its NAICS code is 311811 and its SIC code is 2050.