Today we’d like to introduce you to Faith Ko.
Hi Faith, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My inspiration started back in high school when I was living in Seoul, Korea. I used to visit a local bakery everyday- not just for the pastries, but for the incredible atmosphere. It was warm, cozy, and comforting. It was a calm space away from all the noise and chaos outside. These memories always stay with me, and I always knew I wanted to bring that same feeling to others someday.
Many years later, I opened my own donut shop with the goal of creating that same sense of joy and comfort to bring to others.
In 2021, I experienced a deep personal loss when one of my daughters passed away. During that time, I felt like giving up the business, but I reflected on how much she supported me and believed in my dreams. We loved watching Studio Ghibli movies together almost every night; our favorite being “Kiki’s Delivery Service”. She loved the idea of opening a bakery inspired by the one in the movie, and that thought always stayed with me.
In her honor, I began incorporating her dream into my shop; serving creative and delicious donuts alongside classics favorites, and focusing on building a space that feels cozy, whimsical, and welcoming. My hope is that when customers walk in, they feel transported into a new world- just like I did in the bakeries back in Seoul.
Alright, 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?
Owning a donut shop came with a few deeply personal obstacles and challenges. At the beginning, my dream was actually to open a full-time bakery. However, I had four children and my father was battling lung cancer and I was his caretaker, so I needed to do something that was my passion, but allowed me to still be present for my family. With that challenge, I decided to open a donut shop instead which would give me more time during the day.
The first two years were challenging; business was slow and I didn’t have much experience running my own shop. I had to learn and adapt, which led me to the idea of incorporating my original passion of creative, bakery goods into my donuts. This ultimately helped my business grow!
Then came COVID, which like for everyone, was an incredibly difficult period. Like many small businesses, we struggled to stay in business. I am truly grateful to the Flower Mound community, who supported me and did their absolute best to keep our doors open the entire time.
In July of 2021, I faced my greatest personal loss when my beloved daughter, Grace, passed away. That was a moment where I felt like giving up entirely. But I chose to keep going, honoring her memory and the endless support she has given me and the shop throughout years. That experience gave me a new wave of strength to continue building what I started.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
We specialize in gourmet, pastry style donuts with unique flavors. The menu changes out often as we are always introducing and experimenting with new flavors. We also offer a specialty bulgogi dumpling donut, which features Korean style bulgogi inside a fluffy dumpling donut shell. We also offer all the favorite classics!
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
My four children, Sam, Sarah, Grace and Noel, who inspire me everyday. They introduce me to all of their favorite things, like video games and TV shows, which I take for inspiration to my shop.
The residents of Flower Mound who go out of their way to support small businesses like mine.
@foxx_draws_ and @everybodyeatschris @dallasveganinsider on Instagram, who went out of their way to share my small business on social media.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarasdonutstory/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sarasdonutstory/
