Community Highlights: Meet Shauna McCoy of Donut Distillery

Today we’d like to introduce you to Shauna McCoy. Them and their team share their story with us below:

In 2017, Shauna McCoy decided to hang up her business suit and heels for an apron and mixer in order to follow her passion. After 20+ years as a sales professional, she left corporate America in the dust and embarked on her own journey. In a small blue food truck, she traveled the state of Tennessee selling gourmet mini donuts! Shauna is from Albuquerque, New Mexico, and was always surrounded by talented cooks and creativity. Baking these abundantly charming mini donuts came naturally as she threw in some of her own spunk.

Not only are her donuts delicious, but she takes pride in making everyone’s experience unique and personalized. The donuts were such a hit in the community that she and her family were filling orders out of their house, as well as their food truck. Since her three kids were tired of going to school smelling like the Tennessee fair, she decided it was time for brick and mortar.

Her husband and co-founder, Todd McCoy, were hesitant to spend their life savings on a gamble. “But what if we sold beer and alcohol?” she proposed. “Free” beer for life is all Todd could think about. Sold! Shauna and Todd started their first location in the groovy area of East Nashville.

They take pride in their tight-knit relationships with customers and each other as they revolutionize the donut. They provide high-quality services including various donut toppings, coffee, local craft beer, donut shots, mimosa/coffee/beer flights, and spiked donut milkshakes. Their funky down-to-earth atmosphere is just part of the fun. The McCoy’s set out to give people an experience, proving that there really are so mini reasons to smile!

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Tornados and pandemic! Less than one year after opening we experienced an F5 tornado right in our East Nashville neighborhood. Two weeks later the Covid-19 pandemic shut us down for a couple of weeks and we survived it with the help of our drive-thru, delivery, and amazing community.

As you know, we’re big fans of Donut Distillery. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
We specialize in gourmet mini donuts, alcoholic beverages, spiked donut milkshakes, donut shots, coffee, and mimosa/beer/coffee flights! We are known for our creative food to alcohol pairings and our homemade whiskey glaze. What separates us from other donut shops is our personalized experience.

You can top your donut with any frosting, toppings, or drizzle that your heart desires. We also have a wide variety of drinks with or without alcohol. We are most proud that we can provide a place for people where diversity thrives, where they can kick back and enjoy something made special for them. We are incredibly excited that we opened in the new Assembly Food Hall.

Customers can enjoy our mini donuts, coffee, and spiked shakes while they have the opportunity to experience some of Nashville’s greatest food right in one spot on Broadway. Along with that new location, we are franchising! Our first stop is in Ohio and we are excited to bring a taste of Nashville to the rest of the country!

So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
We love doing fundraisers and supporting local businesses and organizations! One of the many people who support us is Clara Jane. We collab with her and use their CBD in our coffee and donuts. Millcreek Brewery in Nolensville, TN, carries our donuts on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. We support them by drinking (and selling) all their beer!

Yazoo helped us to form our first beer and donut pairing! If you haven’t had a Yazoo Hefewisen (always on tap at Donut Distillery) and Boston Cream donut you haven’t lived! Our community means the world to us as we have felt so much love in the last two years. These are just a few people who have shown us what it means to support small businesses.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: www.donutdistillery.com
• Instagram: @donutdistillery
• Facebook: DonutDistllery
• Twitter: DonutDistillery

Image Credits
Casey Irwin