Today we’d like to introduce you to Michelle Diggs.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
The story behind Blondie’s Doughnuts began over three decades ago. The owner, Michelle Diggs, learned to bake from her mother and grandmother. Her grandmother was a traditional Southern woman, known for her amazing homemade cakes, pies, and yeast rolls in the small, rural town of Walkerton, Virginia. Her amazing recipes and the time-honored tradition of baking have been passed along to three generations of women. Literally, taking a page from her grandmother’s recipe books, the owner started her own small baking business at the age of 14, selling homemade cakes to family and neighbors. Being raised in a family where food was always the center of daily life, from holiday dinners to celebrations and even funerals, she understood the connective power of food. Sitting down to share a meal with others helps us to connect, share experiences, and build community. After a 20-plus year career in biopharmaceutical research, the owner was inspired to shift her career goals. She made a decision to explore her family’s history through baking, uncovering more of her family traditions through her grandmother’s recipes. The owner’s hobby soon flourished into a thriving business. Blondie’s Doughnuts was inspired by tried-and-true family recipes. In 2019, the business began selling scratch-made doughnuts at local farmers’ markets in Baltimore, MD. The farmers’ markets quickly proved successful, and the doughnuts were a hit among crowds who would return each week to purchase them. Within a few years, the company has grown to a full-scale operation with a popular food truck, regularly scheduled popup events, an e-commerce site, and wholesale partnerships with local area businesses and organizations. We are excited to continue to grow Blondie’s Doughnuts to be both an exemplary business within the local community and to ultimately become leaders in the food and beverage industry.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
We’ve definitely faced many struggles along our journey. Probably the most significant obstacle was encountered after one year in business when the world shut down due to COVID-19. We made the decision to pivot to a 100% delivery model from 2020-2021. This hurdle ended up being a game-changer for our business, as it allowed us to strategize differently, and also helped us to reach new customers that we probably wouldn’t have encountered through our normal sales channels.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Entrepreneurship hasn’t been an easy road, and we have faced many challenges since we started the business six years ago. However, despite the challenges that feel insurmountable some days, I am very proud of what we have accomplished in just a few years. What started from a 10’x10’ popup tent in 2019 has grown into a thriving business with a popular food truck, weekly farmers markets, a growing catering and wholesale business, and bustling brick and mortar bakery serving hundreds of guests each week. To date, I am most proud that I can share with the world the love of baking that was instilled in me by my grandmother and mother. My grandmother was a humble woman who spent her entire life as a domestic worker, cleaning, cooking and raising other people’s children. Though she is no longer with us, I feel that she would be proud of what we have built with the wonderful foundation she provided.
Who else deserves credit in your story?
There are many people who deserve credit for helping our business along the way – too numerous to name. However, my husband, Hasson, has been my biggest cheerleader throughout this process. From the moment I mentioned the idea to start the business, he never hesitated to support my dream. And he’s been here in the trenches with me ever since.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.blondiesdoughnuts.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blondiesdoughnuts/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blondiesdough/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/blondies-doughnuts/posts/?feedView=all
