There’s just something about the smell of a warm, freshly made doughnut. It’s the Pied Piper of aromas, summoning anyone within reach to drop what they’re doing and follow its yeasty, buttery-sweet trail straight to the source. For years in Sarasota, that source has been the familiar powder blue food truck of Peachey’s Baking Co.—the one with the long lines out front.
Now, doughnut devotees no longer have to track down the truck. In May, Peachey’s opened their first brick-and-mortar storefront at the Landings Shopping Center on South Tamiami Trail, offering their famous pillowy, vanilla-glaze-dipped doughnuts, along with soft pretzels and a full espresso bar in a crisp, inviting space. Rotating weekly specials tempt customers with flavors such as snickerdoodle, chocolate ganache, and brown-butter maple.
“We strive to create the best product we can by making it in small batches from simple ingredients,” says owner Nate Peachey. “No mixes, no artificial flavorings—everything is from scratch. That’s what my mom taught me, and that’s the foundation of our company.”
That foundation stretches back decades. Nate grew up in Pennsylvania and North Carolina as the sixth of eight children in an Amish family, and when money was tight his mother launched a wholesale bakery out of their converted garage. She eventually taught all her children the craft. “I remember waking up early, smelling breads and cookies and cinnamon rolls,” Nate recalls. “That’s where I learned everything I know about baking.”
The family moved to Sarasota in 2002, and Nate worked in construction until the 2008 financial crisis forced him to reinvent. A sister’s idea to make doughnuts onsite at a festival in the Smoky Mountains sparked what would become Peachey’s Baking Co., and in 2009 they debuted at Sarasota’s Phillippi Farmhouse Market. A front-page photo of Nate’s mom hanging a freshly dipped doughnut on the glaze rack brought instant recognition—and from then on, the lines never stopped.
From those beginnings, the family business grew into multiple food trucks and regular appearances at festivals and state fairs up and down the East Coast and in the Midwest. But for Nate, especially since his mother’s passing in 2019, baking remains personal.
“She taught me to make products with integrity,” he says, “and she also taught me to value every customer. Each doughnut is important and will be uniquely enjoyed by someone.”
After marrying his wife, Nicole, in 2020 and welcoming a daughter in 2024, Nate knew he wanted to spend less time on the road. His brother Sam and Sam’s wife took over most of the fairs so Nate could focus on the new shop. With another location opening on Cattlemen Road in November—this one with more seating, Wi-Fi, and a coffee-house feel—the Peachey’s story may only just be beginning.
“Doughnuts have a soft spot in our hearts,” Nate says. “They’re warm, they’re comforting, and they never let you down.”
Peachy’s Baking Co.
4800 S Tamiami Trl, Sarasota
peacheysbakingco.com
