Why I Invested: Tony Hawk on investing in Holey Grail Donuts

Among the the cult pursuing is pro skater Tony Hawk, an entrepreneur in his individual appropriate as operator of the skateboard brand Birdhouse. Hawk joined as an investor in Holey Grail as part of the company’s just lately done Sequence A round, which lifted $9 million that will be place forth to expand to mainland spots in Los Angeles.

Hawk lately shared a lot more with Fortune about his final decision to commit in the enterprise.

• Startup: Holey Grail Donuts
• Spot: Hanalei, Hawaii
• Calendar year launched: 2018
• Valuation: Declined to disclose
• Investment degree: Series A
• Amount of workers: 36
• Other significant investors: Craig Shapiro at Collaborative Fund, Lee Fixel, Tony Conrad at Accurate Ventures, James Freeman (Blue Bottle), Ligaya Tichy (Yelp, Airbnb) Christopher Kostow (Michelin-star chef), Hass Hassan (Entire Food items), Stephan Jenkins (Third Eye Blind), Yves Behar (Designer, Fuseproject), and Matt Mullenweg (WordPress)

Why he invested, in his have words

I’m usually on the lookout for very good eats, and I’m in particular fired up when I see a person undertaking a imaginative acquire on a food items I know and love. When I found out Holey Grail Donuts, I was straight away intrigued. It represents all the things I seem for in the foodstuff I really like: good taste, to start with and foremost, but made with much better high quality components than your average donuts. They are actively reinventing many facets of the donut marketplace with a authentic tactic to sourcing and output equivalent to some of my preferred coffee outlets and eating places.

For me to get enthusiastic plenty of to invest in a food organization, the starting off level is that the merchandise preferences wonderful. I’m also conscious about what I set in my physique, so the combination of tasting one thing delectable, and figuring out it is actually designed with substantial-high quality elements that I really do not have to feel guilty about having, is the great combo. Holey Grail Donuts are produced new for each and every order, so they are warm and crispy, with out being overly oily or greasy.

They’re also built with taro, an historical root crop developed throughout the tropics that’s wealthy in nutritional vitamins and anti-oxidants. And you just cannot locate Holey Grail donut flavors wherever else they rotate their menu weekly employing seasonal ingredients, so you will almost normally test a little something new and diverse on just about every take a look at. I nonetheless really like a common donut, but making use of neighborhood components that are in time to make donut flavors like North Shore (neighborhood tangelo, turmeric, black pepper) and Lydgate Farms (local vanilla bean glaze garnished with cacao nibs and acerola cherry) is an working experience really worth seeking out.

And lastly, as an trader, I’m in the end seeking for businesses that can grow and be productive. Location-distinct foods organizations can be tough, due to the fact some of the very best areas are ones that mirror and assistance the communities they are in. Holey Grail has a mission-targeted tactic to growth that, put together with their excellent donuts and staff, I believe will guide them to good results. They approach to keep genuine to their roots on Kauai by sourcing specific elements like their taro from Hawaii farmers, and by building their source chain for neighborhood produce and elements where ever they go. This tactic ensures the donuts and working experience will always keep new and interesting. And I’m happy to be together for the journey.