By Andy Furman
NKyTribune reporter
Ryan Yauger had a vision.
And why wouldn’t he – he’s worked in optics for some 21 years.
“I owned four Pearl Vision shops for about six years,” he told the Northern Kentucky Tribune. “So yes, I did have the vision.”
That vision, actually was more of a blessing – at least that’s the way the 43-year-old Yauger, gulp, sees it.
“We had an offer to sell those Pearl Vision shops before the pandemic,” he said, “that was really a blessing.”
Ryan Yauger, owner, and Shannon Steiber, manager
And you’ll never guess what was next on Ryan Yauger’s plate.
Yes – it was actually on his plate, no kidding.
“My wife is Office Manager for the Dermatology Center in Florence,” said Yauger, a Miami University grad. “Well, one day she brought in some donuts, and everyone – including me – agreed, ‘These are pretty good.’”
Those donuts came from the Peace Love and Little Donuts shop on Edwards Road, Cincinnati.
Before Yauger finished his last bite, he was on the phone and gave call to purchase a franchise.
The Peace Love and Little Donuts – now with two locations in the area – opened at 8640 Haines Drive, Florence, December 21 of last year.
“People have been really receptive,” Yauger said, “we’ve done quite well.”
Why wouldn’t he – with some 72 different selections.
“Our donuts,” he said quite proudly, “are made to order and made right in front of you while you wait.”
So, if you see one coffee cake donut – and you’d like a dozen – wait a few minutes and they’re all yours.
Just a small sampling of the donut offerings. Click image to see them all.
“We use a sour-cream, cake base batter,” he said, “and once-a-week, we’ll use a different one – like Red Velvet or Apple Crisp. We announce our changes on social media.”
Peace Love and Little Donuts services weddings, and this season Yauger notes graduation orders have been brisk.
“We just did a Bar Mitzvah,” he said.
Yauger says they’ll cater to any and all needs. “In fact,” he added, “we did quite well on Bengals donuts for the Super Bowl. We’re planning something now for Memorial Day.”
And if you have just a little more time to spare, Peace Love and Little Donuts serves coffee – brewed from locally-owned Oakley Artisan Roasters.
“The crowd peaks,” he says, “between 7-9:30 in the morning.
“Weekends are nuts.”
Peace Love and Little Donuts is closed Mondays, open 7-3 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, Saturday 8 a.m.-2 p.m. and Sunday, 8 a.m.-1 p.m.
And if you’re wondering, yes, Yauger did mention the Florence Police Department are frequent visitors.
