Why Tony Hawk Wants To Bring Trendy Hawaiian Donuts To Your Table

Could Tony Hawk be the 21^st-century version of a renaissance man? From teen pro skater to entrepreneur to author to video game franchise, he seemingly has all 10 fingers (and most of his toes) in pies too numerous to count. One of the ventures he's been involved in over the past few decades has been promoting various food brands — he's credited with reviving Bagel Bites, has been one of a number of sports stars to have Subway sandwiches created in their honor, and has had his go-to order featured on the Team Chipotle menu. Now, he's even started, er, hawking chicken sandwiches at a new eatery called Chick N' Hawk.

So, what's next on the menu of Hawk's food-related accomplishments? Apparently, he's now a donut shop investor. As per an interview with Fortune (as reprinted, or rather, re-pixeled, on Yahoo! News), Hawk is a fan of Holey Grail Donuts. The donut chain started out in Kauai, Hawaii, but is now expanding into the lower 48 — well, at least as far as Los Angeles. At the present time, Holey Grail now has a storefront in Honolulu in addition to seven food trucks: three in Hawaii and four in LA. 

As to why Hawk chose to invest in these donuts, he says it's all about the ingredients. He believes Holey Grail's product has what he calls "the perfect combo ... delicious ... [and] made with high-quality ingredients that I don't have to feel guilty about eating."

The not-so-secret donut ingredient that Holey Grail boasts about (and Tony Hawk enthuses over) is taro, something the investor described to Fortune (via Yahoo! News) as "an ancient root crop grown throughout the tropics that's rich in vitamins and antioxidants." Other ingredients include organic coconut oil for frying as well as single-origin cacao, while Holey Grail's donuts are also dairy-free and, as per their FAQ, usually vegan. 

Plus, as Hawk points out, "You can't find Holey Grail donut flavors anywhere else." Like many donut shops, it rotate its flavors on offer, but its use of local seasonal ingredients allows them to dream up such concoctions as the Lydgate Farms (named for one of their suppliers, this donut features vanilla glaze, cacao nibs, and acerola cherry) and the North Shore (tangelo, turmeric, and pepper).

Of course, there is still an issue with the fact that Holey Grail Donuts are not available to most of us without the added price of a plane ticket, as they're only available onsite. Hawk acknowledges that "location-specific food businesses can be tricky" for an investor, but he says he's on-board with Holey Grail's mission to stick with local suppliers even if this means they'll be keeping to Hawaii and California for the foreseeable future. As Hawk the businessman (and master of corporate-speak) asserts, "This approach ensures the donuts and experience will always stay fresh and interesting. And I'm proud to be along for the ride."