Lori Kettelle is the owner of PVDonuts, a gourmet doughnut business that launched earlier in the year at Hope & Main in Warren, then in May expanded into shared kitchen and retail space on Allens Avenue in Providence. In mid-September, PVDonuts will open in a permanent location in the Fox Point neighborhood of Providence. The new space at 79 Ives St., at the corner of Wickenden Street, will include room for indoor seating. The kitchen will allow her to increase production.
PBN: Why did you choose Fox Point as the location for PVDonuts?
KETTELLE: That was our goal all along, to be on the East Side. It’s super-walkable. A lot of restaurants are moving over there. We wanted to be a part of it.
PBN: The new space was previously a restaurant, McCurdy’s Junction House. What is it like?
KETTELLE: It hadn’t been used in over two years, so it needed a good fixer-upper. The plan is to do a community-style table at one end (for seating).
PBN: What was the challenge of your original location on Allens Avenue?
KETTELLE: It was a shared space. We could only produce until 7:30 a.m. I think we’ll still have the same hours, but we plan on doubling or tripling production. Obviously, we will have to get used to the new kitchen.
PBN: When do you plan to open?
KETTELLE: Hopefully in two weeks.
PBN: Were you surprised at how fast the business grew in the past year? You launched in 2016.
KETTELLE: This was definitely not the plan. Everything got compressed into a few months.
