12/07/2024
Feedback on the current battle of Mini Donuts in Columbia:
I woke up this morning to the shock of comments (by the tons) on a thread that was posted by a local patron at First Friday last night.
While it melts my heart to see such loyal support of me and my sons with , it made me incredibly sad to also see the contentions and fighting among our community.
Before First Fridays were remanaged, my boys and I worked nearly every event, right across from Pucketts. Once there became a fee to be there (right at $100 for food vendors), I couldn’t swing the price of the fee each month, so we’ve worked there twice under the new management.
I do TOTALLY get creating structure and making changes to keep people safe, but it’s a mystery to me as to why the streets couldn’t be closed for safety at these events, without all the added red tape of procedure, but that’s neither here nor there. In addition to the fee, it also required us to purchase a million dollars worth of insurance, which we already carried.
I applied for December’s Friday event long before the deadline and did not receive feedback either way until I checked back in and they told me were declined due to there being so many vendors who applied. I asked if we could set up anywhere else and they told me there were parking spots available on the next street over. In order to be a vendor at the short event on First Fridays, a city permit is not required, but if I chose to set up on the other street, not a part of First Friday, then I’d need to buy a city permit to be there, which I did.
We were the only vendor on the street so it caught many by surprise that we were adjacent the crowds in a much darker area, very isolated from all appearances. Nearly every customer asked why we weren’t with the First Friday group and I explained that we had tried, but were declined. A patron, whom I’d never seen before last night, returned to our donut tent on her way out and told me she knew why we were declined…because they’d opted to go with a franchise.
As an organization, First Friday can choose whomever they feel is the best fit, even when we don’t agree with their choices. Of the two First Fridays I’ve worked since it changed hands, the Main Street workers have been so very kind to me, especially Kellye, who always stopped by to check on us and purchase donuts.
I think the nuts and bolts are this….people are frustrated with the fact that they have to be charged a fee and selected by a group of city officials before they can market their own creations and its become a painful topic in the hearts of many.
Its true that we are not a franchise in any way. As a single mom of 15 years, I’ve most always worked three jobs at once and when we bought a used donut machine off of Ebay 4 years ago, that became one of those income streams. We started off with nothing but hot grease and sunburns (couldn’t afford a tent at that point) and grew to where we are today, where we still borrow a truck to pull our equipment to events and tend to look more like a information booth than a whimsical dealer of flashy donuts. Ha! One day we hope to have a food truck but good GRIEF those things are expensive!
In saying this, I’m aware that EVERYONE works hard, be it a franchise or mom and pop (mom and sons lol) business, and those efforts should be sincerely honored.
Think of it a bit like Muletown coffee vs Starbucks. Both can be owned by a local person who has lived in this community for 200 years, but one is still supporting a franchise and one is not. Even while both have local hands working hard. Both can be equally honored, but both ARE different. And just like Muletown coffee vs Starbucks, each one holds something that the other may not. Each have unique qualities.
Yes, I was sad we didn’t make the cut for last night, but its OK! It’s life, and I’m grateful for all those who have surrounded us with their support.
There have been many times over the past few years that we’ve been dealt unjust hands, lost contracts with current clients and undercut from bigger events, due to a larger corporation in the area. This is very hard to swallow in the moment and it upsets my boys most of all - who see the injustice as they work for nothing (we use all the money for living expenses), but as I faithfully remind them, in the grand scheme of things, the right thing will always pan out. It might take a while, but life has a way of handing a harvest of the seeds sown. For good AND bad.
Another thing I’ve always told my boys as they’ve argued together through the years of growing, “It’s not about WHO is right, its about WHAT is right”, so lets remember that. Yes, most of us would do things differently if we were managing First Friday, but we’re not, so arguing about who is right, is usually a dead end road. If we want change, lets just BE the change, and lets focus on WHAT is right, standing together shoulder to shoulder, even in a world where we don’t agree.
I hope my family can make donuts for you all soon!
With all my heart, Amy Davis & The Five Ladies
