International franchise to open first US location in Greenville

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“Donuts done different,” is this Ottawa, Ontario-based gourmet donut franchise’s slogan.

Maverick’s Donut Co. is family owned and operated by Gen and Geoff Vivian. They renovated an old bay at 117 Batesville Road in Five Forks, which they have turned into a gourmet donut shop that is slated to open in early April — and will be the first U.S. Maverick’s location.

What brought them to the Upstate? Well, it was by a “stroke of luck,” said Gen Vivian.

“We weren’t exactly sure where to go and heard about Greenville,” she said. “We researched it and thought it would be a great place to raise a family and open a business.”

The Vivians opened their first Maverick’s in 2016 in Ottawa. They currently run 12 of them, while another 20 locations they franchised out. They are hoping to build that same brand and customer loyalty in the Upstate.

“We are most excited about a fresh beginning,” said Gen Vivian. “We have had a lot of interest in the U.S. of people wanting to own a franchise, and we wanted to make sure it works here first before franchising out to others.”

Prior to entering the donut business, Geoff Vivian was working in the fishing industry. After seeing a decline from overfishing, the Vivians decided to pivot their career plans.

“We thought donuts would be a fun thing to try, and here we are,” said Gen Vivian.

Maverick’s specializes in primarily cake donuts and makes everything fresh in-house daily. They design the shops minimalism purposefully, so their donut bar steals the show when customers walk through the door, said Gen Vivian — a concept that is consistent across all their locations.

They offer classic donuts such as cinnamon sugar and glazed, and signature elaborate donuts that are almost like mini cakes, like cherry cheesecake or lemon ricotta, in addition to apple fritters, Boston crème, and other baked delicacies.

Everyone hired on the renovation was local, including architect Smith Companies of Greenville.

If the Five Forks location hits the ground running, the Vivians plan to franchise out and open other locations, leading to more jobs for the Upstate and beyond, Gen Vivian said.

“Donuts are a really fun thing to offer,” she said. “From birthday parties to weddings, all the celebratory things are a joy to celebrate with our customers.”