The co-owner of Those Little Donuts is “very disappointed” that his Alberta-based business won’t be returning to Vancouver’s Pacific National Exhibition (PNE) this year.
The mini donut company has been a staple of the amusement park since 1976, having missed only one year of sales there in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I am very disappointed about that and I guess that’s a question for the PNE, why they don’t feel our product is a good fit for the PNE,” said Nathan Maier in an interview.
Maier co-owns Those Little Donuts with his father. The family has branded the tiny cinnamon sugar-dusted rings as “often imitated, never duplicated.”
According to an Aug. 11 Facebook post from the company, its 2022 application to the PNE was rejected.
“The PNE Food Committee regrets to inform you that your applications have not been accepted to participate at the PNE Fair as we already have similar products,” the post reads.
In an interview, the PNE confirmed Those Little Donuts’ application was denied.
“PNE has a very vigorous standard for all of our food standards and we became concerned that this particular vendor couldn’t meet those standards,” Laura Ballance, the PNE’s media contact, told Global News.
“Mini donuts are a significant part of the fair experience for so many British Columbians … we have reviewed all of our mini donut vendors and we have selected three.”
One of the successful applicants, she added, belongs to the PNE’s very first mini donut vending family.
Maier said losing the PNE this season is a “massive business hurdle,” as the donut brand has done “very little business” during the pandemic.
“To not have the PNE back is devastating to our business and extremely hard,” he said, adding that the company “couldn’t take the financial risk” of hauling its trailers from Alberta to B.C. without the promise of sales from the fair.
Those Little Donuts will apply to return to the PNE next year, he added.
“We love to be out there with all of our loyal fans.”
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