Local Love Blog Series – Frankie D’s Donuts

Welcome back to the Local Love Blog Series! 

This week’s feature has been taking the Bow Valley by storm and we’re so excited to feature them here. Makaylah and Fia-Lynn are the human masterminds behind Frankie D’s Donuts, taking inspiration from Frankie D herself. 

Each month, Frankie’s D’s moms get geared up for what is now lovingly known as “Donut Days” around town. With people coming in from Calgary and the surrounding area for these treats, it’s undeniable that they are doing something right! 

With donut lovers who want delicious, made-from-scratch treats filled with love in mind, these ladies have it nailed. 

Makaylah and Fia-Lynn will typically cook up donuts in 2 classic flavours like Old Fashion Glazed, Maple, or Vanilla bean, and then they add a Specialty Flavour of the month. They also offer Apple Fritters (which are my personal favourite) and are even working on new Fritter flavours! Even better, they have come up with some fun treats for our four-legged friends of the canine and feline variety with Doggie and Kitty donuts! 

Well because of Frankie D herself, of course! Frankie inspires her moms every day by being present in the moment, goofy, and fun. She keeps them going when something goes wrong in the kitchen, or they’re tired from long overnight baking shifts. Plus, she really loves donuts!

Although they’re just getting started, Makaylah and Fia-Lynn have big dreams for Frankie D’s Donuts. 

With a goal of someday opening their own donut shop in Canmore, these women are off to a great start! Their favorite part of their business is getting to see the glowing faces of eager customers picking up their donuts, so why wouldn’t they want to make that an everyday thing? 

In December 2019, the donut obsession began and hasn’t slowed down since.

Fia-Lynn ignited her passion for baking in December 2019 and the first thing she made was donuts. While the baking continued for a few months, it wasn’t until April 2020 during a conversation with a friend that the idea for Frankie D’s got going. At this point, Frankie D’s moms knew they could really make something great with their donuts and got to work. 

They have great support and help from the community to get going. 

Once they experimented with more donut flavours and had a rough plan for the business, Makaylah and Fia-Lynn knew they had to find a kitchen and the proper licensing to sell their craft! With the help of Yuka from Yowza Kitchen Co. for the licensing advice, and the crew at Tavern 1883 for the use of their kitchen, Frankie D’s Donuts was officially born! 

Customers know to be on the lookout for their Donut Day announcements and set alarms for Donut Order Day because they are always guaranteed to sell out! Having personally made the mistake of not setting a reminder for Order Day and being left with only myself to blame for a donut-less Donut Day, I highly recommend not making the same mistake. However, if for some reason you miss Order Day, Frankie D’s moms still have your back with the Donut waitlist where those on the list will be contacted to pick up some donuts at a moment’s notice if there are extras or no-shows! 

So, of course, with all the local support from businesses and the community, Makaylah and Fia-Lynn wanted to shout out a few of their favourites!

They both love Alonso from Bow Valley Empanadas, and Alberta’s Own Marketplace – the go-to spot for mugs and artisan items for these ladies. They also want to shine a light on Andrew from Flooded Ink, who designed their logo and illustrated Frankie oh so well! Lastly, check out this recent Instagram post to see the latest adventure they took with the Canadian Rockies Experience! 

Communitea Café has been an inspiration to Makaylah and Fia-Lynn since the beginning and has been incredibly supportive ever since buying donuts on Donut Days. They are also big into collaborations, including working with Le Chocolatier, P.S. Modern Cuisine, and Red Gables who provide the local farm-raised Hutterite eggs for the donuts. 

They make sure to keep an eye on balancing health and wellbeing, fun and play, while also being able to be very ambitious and passionate about building their business. Luckily, they have Frankie there to help them out with this part knowing that she also needs their love through walks, pets, and obviously treats! 

So, how do you get your hands on these amazing, ginormous donuts? 

Make sure you’re following them on Instagram and Facebook so you don’t miss the announcement for Donut Order Day – and then mark it in your calendar and circle it in red. Three times. With big exclamation marks! On order day, you’ll be able to select your donuts from their website, and then pick them up a few days later! 

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