Mighty-O, a company on the leading edge of organic vegan baking, started with a single product and one simple mission: “to make an honest living while being mindful of people and respectful of the environment.” They began in 2000, selling cinnamon-sugar donuts at street fairs and farmers markets. Three years later they opened this corner shop, in a building that dates to 1910, in a neighborhood dubbed Tangletown for its complicated intersection of streets. You will find Mighty-O donuts in many progressive markets around town, but nowhere are they fresher than here. One wall lifts like a garage door when the weather is warm. The few tables and counter seats inevitably attract laptop loungers who nurse cups of organic, free-trade coffee, but most people pick up their Os and go. By late-morning the stacks of donuts have dwindled in the glass-fronted bakery case, smeary from the fingers of little ones. The selection usually includes fritters, made with local, seasonal fruit; maple bars; and raised, glazed, frosted, sprinkled or naked Os, both mighty and mini. These aren’t just the best vegan donuts you’ve ever tasted: their chocolate and the original cinnamon-sugar vanilla versions are among the best donuts anywhere. Mighty-O’s community commitment extends to hosting school field trips that promote organic food and sustainable practices. They compost all food waste, and no donuts are thrown away: extras go to nonprofit organizations serving the hungry.
