Employees at The Donut Guy food truck sell donuts at the Soda City Market in Columbia on March 4. Co-owner Crystal Paulk recounted the evolution of the restaurant’s name since its founding as a farmer’s market stand. “We actually didn’t start off being The Donut Guy. We started out with the name of “Sweets and Treats,” and then we eventually would have customers come all the time and the kids would be like, “Oh, the donut guy, the donut guy!” And so that’s how our name evolved, and we switched to The Donut Guy.” Photo by Cadence Schapker
Columbia’s Soda City Market is brimming with local businesses. One such business has greatly benefited from the use of social media to further expand their customer base.
Every weekend, the sweet smell of freshly baked donuts permeates Columbia’s Main Street Soda City Market as customers flock to the staple yellow food truck and Volkswagen buggy decorated with donuts.
Co-owners Shaun and Crystal Paulk founded The Donut Guy as a market stand in 2011, and it grew into a local chain soon thereafter.
“From setting up on the side of the road (with) farmer’s markets and things like that, we began to grow and create a following,” Crystal said. “We have two trucks at this point, a trailer and we opened our second brick and mortar in Columbia a year ago.”
A photo gallery features The Donut Guy’s food truck during the Soda City Market in Columbia on March 4. The business and its owners have been able to stir growth with the use of social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and Twitter. “Social media has helped tremendously,” The Donut Guy co-owner Crystal Paulk said. “It’s our main form of promotion outside of word of mouth. It’s our main form of marketing. So we get tons of people who follow us, and you know, they’re able to see where we are, what we sell, and ultimately come to us where we are.” Photos by Cadence Schapker
As they gained a following throughout their multiple locations in South Carolina, The Donut Guy began to utilize social media as a promotional tool for the family business.
“(We’ll use a) quick video or a ‘Hey, come (to the restaurant)’ kind of thing,” Crystal said. “We find that people love to see the personality behind the business, and so anytime we post something it’s pretty popular.”
By using social media as their main way of engagement and outreach, they find that it’s attracted new customers to their small business.
A video highlights The Donut Guy’s food truck on Columbia’s Main Street during the Soda City Market on March 4. The family-owned business was founded by current co-owners Shaun and Crystal Paulk in 2011 and they’ve built their brand on social media, which has harbored a vast following. “We get tons of people who follow us and they’re able to see where we are, what we sell, and ultimately come to us where we are,” Crystal said. Video by Cadence Schapker
“We get tons of people who follow us and they’re able to see where we are, what we sell, and ultimately come to us where we are,” Crystal said.
The Donut Guy has begun to utilize many different social media platforms, but lean towards Instagram for promoting their business. Their customers have found that their social media presence has helped them discover what their business has to offer.
“(My friends and I) are foodies. We use (TikTok and Instagram) to drive our desires on (where to go),” one, anonymous, customer said.
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As customers flock to The Donut Guy’s restaurants and food trucks, Crystal is optimistic that the business’ continued presence on these platforms will lead to further growth and success.
“We definitely appreciate being able to utilize (social media) platforms,” Crystal said. “It’s the wave of the future.”
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