New donut shop in Elizabethtown serves up sweets with a message of inclusion

Tom Round
Tom Round
WDRB Photojournalist

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Apr 7, 2022
Apr 7, 2022 Updated Apr 7, 2022

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A new shop in Elizabethtown is serving up donuts with a purpose.

Hole Lotta Love Donuts opened in late March. They’ve seen incredible interest from the community, selling out almost every day since they opened. The donuts might be what gets the people through the door, but it’s the people serving up the sweet treats that have people coming back for more.

"We are giving opportunities to people with special abilities, as we reference them," said co-owner Jon Anderson. More than 30 of their 40 employees have special needs including autism and Down Syndrome.

Anderson said it's a place for the employees to "come and have community and to work. He said it's also a chance to introduce the community to what he calls "some of the finest people in E-town."

“Every little aspect of our business that we've been able to put them in to succeed, you know, they've been doing wonderful, and we couldn't be happier,” said co-owner Brannon Dupree.

Jonathan Larimore has autism and ADHD. He said the job is helping his social skills and more.

“For some people they think there's no room for disabled people in the workplace community. But really, everybody needs to work," he said.

Anderson said the employees are a great fit.

"These are some of the greatest employees we could have ever asked for. They are some of the hardest workers we could have asked for," he said. "They have the best attitudes. They're showing up at 5:30 in the morning with smiles on their faces."

You won't find a drive-thru at Hole Lotta Love Donuts. "Because the thing is we want people to come in. We want them to sit down, to experience, to be a part of this journey that we've already been on so far," said Dupree.

"It's about these wonderful young people and the opportunities they get to interact not only with one another but with the community at large," Anderson said.

The owners hope their business model will encourage other companies to create more opportunities and jobs for those with special needs. They hope to be able to add more locations in the future.

Hole Lotta Love Donuts is located at 2622 Ring Road, Elizabethtown, Kentucky. They are open Monday through Saturday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. to noon on Sunday. You can also visit their website, HoleLottaLoveDonuts.com.