What Blue Star Doughnuts Llc does

Blue Star Doughnuts LLC is a privately held, founder-owned gourmet donut company founded in 2012 in Portland, Oregon, operating four retail locations — three Portland storefronts (SW Jefferson flagship, SE Division, and South Waterfront) plus a post-security kiosk at Portland International Airport (PDX). The company produces donuts from scratch daily starting at 3am using a signature 18-hour brioche dough process incorporating European butter, eggs, and milk, and offers buttermilk old-fashioned cake donuts alongside a fully vegan cake donut line. Its menu includes complex seasonal flavors such as blueberry bourbon basil, chocolate bergamot, orange olive oil, piña colada brûlée, and apple cider fritter, paired with an exclusive Blue Star Blend coffee developed in collaboration with Coava Coffee Roasters and an expanding beverage program that includes espresso drinks, nitro cold brew, matcha, and energy drinks.

The business operates a multi-channel direct-to-consumer model: walk-in retail at the four Portland locations, local pick-up and delivery via Toast Tab, nationwide e-commerce shipping through UPS and FedEx (flat $28 under $75, free above $75), corporate gifting with tiered SKUs (Favorites Combo, Blue Star Experience, Donut Bite Flight), a wholesale program supplying donuts to coffee shops and events, gift cards, and branded merchandise. The technology stack consists of Shopify for e-commerce and Toast Tab for point-of-sale and online ordering — standard SaaS infrastructure with no proprietary AI/ML or data analytics layer disclosed. The company is led by Co-Founder/CEO Katie Poppe and CFO/Partner Will Price, with no external institutional investors referenced, and operates without disclosed subsidiaries, patents, M&A activity, or regulatory actions.

Customer segments split primarily between individual adult consumers purchasing at retail or via online shipping, with secondary demand from corporate gifting clients, event planners, and SMB wholesale accounts. Geographic revenue is anchored in the Portland metro with national reach limited to shippable products; geographic restrictions exclude U.S. territories, overseas military addresses, and P.O. boxes. The brand has accumulated substantial editorial credibility through placements in USA Today, Bon Appétit, Forbes, Vogue, Condé Nast Traveler, Fast Company, and The Oregonian, and has been recognized as one of the country's 10 best doughnut brands, supporting a premium positioning that the company's craft production model and ingredient sourcing are designed to sustain.

Name

Blue Star Doughnuts Llc

Legal name

Blue Star Donuts

Website

https://www.bluestardonuts.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Blue Star Doughnuts LLC is a Portland-based, founder-owned gourmet donut company founded in 2012, operating four Portland-area retail locations plus nationwide e-commerce shipping, corporate gifting, and wholesale channels, serving individual consumers, corporate clients, and SMB coffee shops with scratch-made brioche, cake, and vegan donuts paired with a Coava-roasted exclusive coffee blend.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Artisanal Doughnuts

NAICS

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

SIC

Bakery Products (2050)

akta.pro primary industry

Donut Shops (THAFAGAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Online Bakery & Desserts Delivery (CRAHAIAK)

Keywords

• Artisan bakery
• Specialty doughnuts
• Gourmet coffee
• Corporate gifting
• Online food shipping

Headquarters

HQ city

Portland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Retail Donut and Coffee Sales: In-store purchases at 4 Portland-area locations including hot coffee, espresso drinks, nitro cold brew, matcha, energy drinks, and donuts
2. Nationwide Shipping: Shippable donuts and merchandise sold online with flat rate shipping ($28 under $75, free over $75) for nationwide delivery
3. Corporate Gifting: Corporate donut shipments including Favorites Combo, Blue Star Experience, Donut Bite Flight, and Choose Your Own Adventure gift card options for bulk orders
4. Wholesale Accounts: Full-sized donuts sold wholesale to coffee shops, events, and party favors through B2B accounts
5. Gift Cards: E-gift certificates and reloadable physical gift certificates available at locations and online
6. Merchandise: T-shirts (kids and adult), enamel pins, and other branded merchandise sold at locations and online

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Blue Star Doughnuts LLC manufactures and sells handcrafted gourmet doughnuts made from scratch daily using a proprietary 18-hour brioche dough process, buttermilk old-fashioned cake doughnuts, and vegan cake doughnuts featuring creative flavor combinations with fresh herbs, spices, fruits, and liquors. The company complements its doughnut line with an exclusive Blue Star Blend coffee program developed with Coava Coffee Roasters, plus branded merchandise, and operates four Portland-area retail storefronts (including a PDX airport kiosk) alongside nationwide e-commerce shipping, corporate gifting, and wholesale distribution programs.

Product overview

Blue Star Donuts is a Portland-based gourmet donut company founded in 2012, operating as a unified retail and e-commerce food brand. The core product portfolio consists of handcrafted donuts made from scratch daily starting at 3am, featuring three main categories: signature brioche donuts (18-hour process using eggs, milk, and European butter), buttermilk old-fashioned cake donuts, and vegan cake donuts. Specialty flavors include Strawberry Shortcake, Chocolate Bergamot Old-Fashioned, Piña Colada Brûlée, Orange Olive Oil, Blueberry Bourbon Basil, and Apple Cider Fritter. The company also offers donut bites in various sizes. Complementing the donut lineup is a coffee program featuring the exclusive Blue Star Roast blend crafted with Coava Coffee Roasters, including hot coffee, lattes, cappuccinos, iced beverages, nitro cold brew, matcha drinks, and energy drinks. Services include nationwide shipping, local pickup and delivery, corporate gifting programs, wholesale accounts for B2B customers, and gift cards. The company operates four Portland-area retail locations plus a PDX airport kiosk.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Brioche Doughnuts Signature gourmet doughnuts made from scratch daily using an 18-hour brioche dough process with eggs, milk, and European butter, featuring creative flavor combinations such as Blueberry Bourbon Basil, Apple Cider Fritter, Strawberry Shortcake, and Piña Colada Brûlée. Targeted at adult consumers seeking premium doughnut experiences.
• Old-Fashioned Cake Doughnuts Buttermilk old-fashioned cake doughnuts available in signature flavor infusions such as Chocolate Bergamot, Raspberry Rosemary, and Lemon Poppy. Targeted at adults seeking elevated doughnut flavors.
• Vegan Cake Doughnuts All cake doughnuts are made vegan, including seasonal flavors such as Orange Olive Oil, Matcha Crumble, and Peach Cobbler. Targeted at vegan consumers and those with dietary restrictions seeking gourmet doughnuts.
• Donut Bites Bite-sized doughnut pieces available in 12oz (12-15 pieces) and 6oz (6-7 pieces) boxes, with some flavors being vegan. Targeted at consumers seeking variety-pack or sharing-format doughnut purchases.
• Blue Star Roast Whole Bean Coffee Exclusive Blue Star Blend coffee crafted in collaboration with Coava Coffee Roasters, featuring syrupy body, chocolate with balanced fruit notes, and gentle acidity. Available as 300g whole bean bags. Targeted at coffee enthusiasts seeking a premium blend optimized for doughnut pairing.
• Specialty Coffee & Tea Beverages In-store beverage lineup including drip coffee, latte, cappuccino, iced Americano, iced latte, nitro cold brew, matcha, iced matcha, and energy drinks (Razzle Dazzle, Sparkle Motion, Glitzberry) prepared with Coava Coffee's Blue Star Blend espresso and Portal Tea matcha. Targeted at retail customers visiting Portland locations.
• Gift Cards E-gift certificates available online and reloadable physical gift certificates available at locations. Targeted at consumers seeking doughnut-themed gifts.
• Branded Merchandise T-shirts (kids and adult), enamel pins, and other branded merchandise sold at locations and online. Targeted at brand enthusiasts and gift buyers.
• Corporate Gifting Program Corporate doughnut shipping program for bulk orders with curated bundle SKUs including Favorites Combo, Blue Star Experience, Donut Bite Flight, and Choose Your Own Adventure gift cards. Targeted at corporate buyers for employee rewards, client appreciation gifts, and corporate events.
• Wholesale Program Wholesale program offering full-sized doughnuts for coffee shops, events, and party favors with grab-and-go and travel-friendly packaging. Targeted at foodservice operators and event planners reselling or serving Blue Star doughnuts.

Quantifiable outcome

• Featured in USA Today '10 Best Donut Shops' June 2026
• +3 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

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Coava Coffee RoasterscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExclusive partnership with Portland's award-winning Coava Coffee Roasters to create the Blue Star Blend coffee. Months of research went into developing this custom roast featuring syrupy body, chocolate with balanced fruit notes, and gentle acidity - optimized for pairing with Blue Star donuts. Available as Blue Star Roast whole bean coffee and used in all espresso-based drinks at locations.
• Toast TabcoreTechnology or IntegrationOnline ordering and point-of-sale platform integration. Toast Tab handles online ordering for all Portland locations and gift card management through their platform.
• UPSminorOthersNationwide shipping carrier partner for donut delivery.
• FedExminorOthersNationwide shipping carrier partner for donut delivery.
• Port of PortlandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to bring Blue Star Donuts to Portland International Airport's new PDX terminal. Part of Port of Portland's initiative to showcase local Oregon brands. Quote from Co-Founder/CEO Katie Poppe: 'We are ecstatic to bring the donut party back to the new PDX, and to give travelers passing through a delicious taste of what Oregon has to offer.'
• Portal TeaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMatcha provider for matcha and iced matcha beverages on the menu.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Voodoo Doughnut: Iconic Portland-based craft donut brand founded in 2003; direct competitor in the gourmet donut category with multiple Portland storefronts and national brand recognition, competing for the same premium donut customer.
• Top Pot Doughnuts: Seattle-based craft donut chain operating 20+ retail locations with a similar gourmet coffee pairing model; directly comparable on craft positioning, product premiumization, and multi-store retail execution.
• Doughnut Plant: New York-based gourmet donut shop founded in 1994; competes in the premium/craft donut category with seasonal flavors and nationwide shipping, very close analog to Blue Star's model.
• Stan's Donuts: Los Angeles craft donut brand with multiple retail locations and nationwide shipping; comparable on premium ingredient sourcing, creative flavor profiles, and multi-channel retail+e-commerce model.
• Federal Donuts: Philadelphia-based gourmet donut and fried chicken concept; comparable as a craft donut brand with retail stores, distinctive flavor menu, and strong local brand affinity similar to Blue Star's Portland identity.
• District Donuts Sliders Brew: New Orleans-based craft donut brand with adjacent food and beverage menu; comparable premium positioning and small-multi-store retail model targeting adult consumers.
• Pip's Original Doughnuts: Portland-based craft mini-doughnut and coffee pairing concept; direct Portland competitor with similar 'grown-up' artisan positioning and small-batch production ethos.

Broad incumbents

• Krispy Kreme: National doughnut and coffee chain with hundreds of US retail locations; broad incumbent serving the mass-market donut category that Blue Star differentiates against via craft positioning.
• Duck Donuts: US franchise donut chain offering made-to-order donuts; comparable on multi-unit retail expansion model though positioned for family/family-fun occasions rather than Blue Star's premium adult positioning.
• Shipley Do-Nuts: Long-standing regional donut chain across the southern US with broad retail footprint; comparable as a multi-location donut retailer though at a much more mass-market price tier than Blue Star.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/bluestardonuts
• Instagraminstagram.com/bluestardonuts
• TikToktiktok.com/@bluestardonuts
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/blue-star-donuts

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Blue Star Doughnuts Llc