It was during their travels up and down the West Coast that Steven and Eva Castro had an idea. The Salinas Valley residents were inspired to open their own pop-up shop. Their specialty? Donuts that are actually healthy—or at least healthier.
Hole Food Vegan Donuts has since taken its fan favorites—like egg-less, butter-less churro donuts—around the Central Coast, to pop-up food destinations like Watsonville’s Elkhorn Slough Brewery and Fruition Brewing.
How did you come up with the name and logo?
EVA CASTRO: The name Hole Foods is a funny spin on “Whole Foods.” As in, eat more wholesome, healthy foods, but most people correlate it with the grocery store.
When it came to our logo, we wanted to incorporate our Mexican culture. Steven grew up watching wrestling and lucha libre with his dad and abuelito, so that was the inspiration behind the luchador and the donut mask.
What makes a donut vegan?
A common misconception about vegan desserts is that they’re dry, bland and taste healthy. But if you’ve had one of our donuts, you know they’re just as delicious as a regular donut. Dare we say, maybe even better?
Our donuts are made without animal products. That means no butter, milk or eggs. Instead, we use plant-based alternatives such as almond milk. Our donuts aren’t deep fried. They’re baked and made with organic and natural ingredients. We pride ourselves with using healthier alternatives, but we don’t sacrifice any of the flavor.
What are your most popular flavors?
Our flavor menu rotates at every pop-up shop, so we have a few fan favorites. If we had to narrow it down to three, I would say churro, Mexican chocolate and blueberry.
Where can people find your donuts?
We don’t have a storefront. The best way to find us is to follow us on Instagram @vegandonuts831, where we post fliers about our events. We’ve had pop-ups in Salinas, Watsonville and Gonzales. Next year, we’ll be in more surrounding cities and the Bay Area.
