Lifestyle

Los Angeles Dessert Innovation Takes Over The Middle East (And The Rest of The World) at 3rd Street Donuts Shop

Published

4 years ago

February 9, 2021

If you’re ever catching yourself asking where you can find a piece of America in the Middle East, look no further. 3rd Street Donuts is where you can find a list of over a dozen specialty coffees and a one-of-a-kind, secret donut recipe that is directly imported from one of the finest American bakeries in Los Angeles, California.

The shop carries over 120 flavors of donuts, rotating from 40 to 50 flavors a day. They are made fresh daily and decorated beautifully in-house with a wide variety of colorful toppings for every occasion. The shop also offers a wide variety of artisanal hot and iced coffees that resemble those at your typical American coffee shop.

Mundhir al Alawi, founder and owner of 3rd Street Donuts, visited local, family-owned donut shops practically everyday while living in Los Angeles, California. He quickly fell in love with the dessert and the many distinct ways it could be prepared, depending on its unique recipe. Needless to say it didn’t take long for his newfound love of the fluffy treat to trigger the idea of a potential business endeavor.

But in order to remain as authentic as possible to his favorite donut shops in L.A, Alawi knew he’d have to create an American-style donut recipe for his small business. He proceeded to hire an executive pastry chef, and, in collaboration with an American bakery, designed the perfect donut recipe that would later become the secret signature staple of 3rd Street Donut Shop.

Thanks to the Free Trade Agreement between the United States and Oman, the shop’s top-quality ingredients for its secret recipe are imported from California whilst remaining completely duty-free. Since the innovative recipe requires special ingredients from both countries in order for the dessert to remain perfectly soft and fluffy, fellow competitors in the area using local ingredients have tended to fall short in competition.

There are currently three 3rd Street Donut Shop branches in Oman and more to come within the following year. By the end of 2021, the shop will be making its way into Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Dubai, and Bahrain. The business has also recently started accepting franchising applications which can be found on www.3sdonuts.com.

And if a delicious secret donut recipe imported overseas isn’t enough to bring you into the shop, its excellent customer service will do the trick. The shop’s owner made sure to put the customer’s experience at the forefront of his business by training staff to provide both innovative products and a wonderful dine-in experience. Each 3rd Street consumer is meant to be a friend and a lifetime companion of the business. “We are innovative in everything we do, but we always make sure to put the customer first,” owner and founder Mundhir al Alawi explains. “It’s always about making them feel like 3rd Street Donuts is a part of their home, and that whenever they walk into our shop, they understand that they are the most important.”

Join the 38,000+ members of 3rd Street Donuts’ digital family by following @3sdonuts on Instagram and follow their journey on their new locations coming soon. For more information on business opportunities, visit their website.

Lifestyle

Why Derik Fay Is Becoming a Case Study in Long-Haul Entrepreneurship

Published

1 week ago

July 2, 2025

Michelle Langton

Entrepreneurship today is often framed in extremes — overnight exits or public flameouts. But a small cohort of operators is being studied for something far less viral: consistency. Among them, Derik Fay has quietly surfaced as a long-term figure whose name appears frequently across sectors, interviews, and editorial mentions — yet whose personal visibility remains relatively limited.

Fay’s career spans more than 20 years and includes work in private investment, business operations, and emerging entertainment ventures. Though many of his companies are not household names, the volume and duration of his activity have made him a subject of interest among business media outlets and founders who study entrepreneurial longevity over fame.

He was born in Westerly, Rhode Island, in 1978, and while much of his early career remains undocumented publicly, recent profiles including recurring features in Forbes — have chronicled his current portfolio and leadership methods. These accounts often emphasize his pattern of working behind the scenes, embedding within businesses rather than leading from a distance. His style is often described by peers as “operational first, media last.”

Fay has also become recognizable for his consistency in leadership approach: focus on internal systems, low public profile, and long-term strategy over short-term visibility. At 46 years old, his posture in business remains one of longevity rather than disruption a contrast to many of the more heavily publicized entrepreneurs of the post-2010 era.

While Fay has never publicly confirmed his net worth, independent analysis based on documented real estate holdings, corporate exits, and investment activity suggests a conservative floor of $100 million, with several credible indicators placing the figure at well over $250 million. The exact number may remain private but the scale is increasingly difficult to overlook.

He is also involved in creative sectors, including film and media, and maintains a presence on social platforms, though not at the scale or tone of many personal-brand-driven CEOs. He lives with his long-term partner, Shandra Phillips, and is the father of two daughters — both occasionally referenced in interviews, though rarely centered.

While not an outspoken figure, Fay’s work continues to gain media attention. The reason may lie in the contrast he presents: in a climate of rapid rises and equally rapid burnout, his profile reflects something less dramatic but increasingly valuable — steadiness.

There are no viral speeches. No Twitter threads drawing blueprints. Just a track record that’s building its own momentum over time.

Whether that style becomes the norm for the next wave of founders is unknown. But it does offer something more enduring than buzz: a model of entrepreneurship where attention isn’t the currency — results are.