March 14, 2017

Meet Melissa Rudd of DaVinci’s Donuts in Alpharetta, Sandy Springs, and Dunwoody

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Melissa Rudd.

Melissa, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I always made donuts with my mom and carried the tradition on with my own boys. When my husband, who was a corporate lawyer for 20 years, said he wanted a career change, I jokingly said I would be happy making donuts the rest of my life and he said, “Let’s do it!” We bought a donut machine and recreated the light and fluffy cake style donut that I made with my mom. We also wanted a creative atmosphere, so you can come in and tell us what you want on your donut, making your own creation. Customers love the smaller size of our donuts, giving them the option to try more flavors with less guilt. We opened the first location in Alpharetta in March 2014. Alpharetta was so good to us that we were able to open a second location the following March in Sandy Springs. We decided to franchise and opened our first franchise this past December in Dunwoody. We are now looking to expand not only thru more franchises but more corporate stores next year.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Since we had not owned our own business before, it has been quite an experience. Learning how to build out a space from nothing, to hire and train staff, to order product and do scheduling and payroll, it has all been new to us. It has been great working together. Andy has taken the lead on back of the house duties, such as ordering, payroll and compliance issues, while I take front of the house duties, such as training, new donut flavors and social media. With the franchising, Andy’s experience as an attorney has been invaluable. I could not have started this business on my own,

Please tell us about DaVinci’s Donuts.
Da Vinci’s is a unique and creative take on donuts. Our smaller sized, lighter cake donuts taste unlike any other. You can choose from our inspired flavors, like tiramisu, maple bacon, or Dulce de Leche or use your creativity to customize your own masterpiece! With our modest size donut yet abundant toppings, you can enjoy your treat with higher satisfaction and less guilt than traditional donuts.

Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
Cooking and baking with my mom are some of my favorite memories. It was our time together. She taught me to cook without a recipe and that food brings people together. It is a big part of my Italian heritage that I am very proud of.

Pricing:

Our DaVinci’s Dozen is 16 Gourmet Donuts. You can choose from over 20 flavors or create your own for $14.95.
Our Business Box is 16 of our most popular Gourmet Donuts for $14.95.
We also sell our DaVinci’s Half dozen for $9.25, a 4 pack for $4.95 or a single donut for $1.35.

Contact Info: