E14: From Weekend Help to Donut Empire: Gary VanderStelt of Sprinkles Donuts

From Weekend Help to Donut Empire: Gary VanderStelt of Sprinkles Donuts | The Perfect Rise Podcast

What happens when the kid who swore he’d never work in a bakery ends up running one of the busiest donut operations in Michigan?

In this episode of The Perfect Rise, Chef Kimberly Houston sits down with Gary VanderStelt, owner of Sprinkles Donuts, to talk about how a family legacy turned into a full-blown donut empire—complete with 8+ locations, a 14,000-square-foot kitchen, and over 500,000 donuts produced every month.

Gary shares how he transitioned from weekend fryer shifts to full-time founder, what it takes to scale with quality, and why their mission to "create sweet memories" is baked into every decision, from hand-cut cinnamon rolls to a ready-to-thaw donut line now heading to grocery shelves.

👉 IN THIS CONVERSATION:
• Why Gary originally said he’d never work in a bakery
• How Sprinkles scaled from a single fryer to a production powerhouse
• The real challenges of hiring and managing across 9 locations
• Lessons in leadership, legacy, and loving what you do
• The frozen donut journey: what worked, what flopped, and what’s next

Whether you're a bakery owner, donut lover, or aspiring entrepreneur, this episode will leave you inspired (and maybe a little hungry).

🎧 Listen now and subscribe for more stories from behind the counter.

Learn more about the Retail Bakers of America
🌐 https://www.retailbakersofamerica.org/

Learn more about Sprinkles Donuts
🌐 https://sprinklesdonutshop.com/

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