Baltimore woman takes Deddle's Donuts to new heights in revitalized Lexington Market
BALTIMORE - A Baltimore woman started Deddle's Donuts with a food truck and a dream.
Now, anyone with a sweet tooth can find her treats inside the revitalized Lexington Market.
"Nobody believed that I would probably make it this far," said Deddle's Donuts owner Robin Holmes.
Years ago, Robin and her mom, Gloria, talked about opening up a barbeque business after Gloria retired.
But one month before that retirement, Gloria died of cancer.
"She loved what she did. She fed people," Robin said. "She worked in the kitchen. She worked two jobs actually. She just loved what she did, she loved feeding people, so she didn't mind working so hard and she was so dedicated to it."
Gloria worked almost up until the day that she died.
Despite pain, cancer and treatments, she worked.
It's a work ethic that inspired robin to leave her job and start her own business.
"I knew, like I knew, that this was going to work," Robin said.
In 2016, Robin Holmes took her life savings - $12,000 - to buy a camper off of Craigslist.
"I always had to hotshot the truck to and from everywhere because it wouldn't start with a key," she said. "I had to connect two wires to start it back up."
That truck was the first home of Deddle's Donuts, a mini-donut business named after Robin's mother.
Seven years later, Deddle's Donuts has a new home, in Lexington Market.
Gloria's picture sits at the register. It's one of the first thing customer's see.
"I want her to know that she's always there with me," Robin said. "Even though this isn't what we intended to do, you're still here with me. We are still doing this thing together."
Robin told WJZ she has had opportunities to open up shop in malls and other locations but if she had it her way, she would open up in stadiums.
As a Baltimore native, naturally, she has her eye on Camden Yards and M&T Bank Stadium.
