He was looking for a hand-up, not a handout!
Derrick Faulcon was determined to become the “Culinary Nat Turner” and start his own entrepreneurial empire after being released from prison. He studied the ins and outs of the restaurant business and even helped 200 other inmates get their GEDs. He was released in 2012 and two years later, he opened his first restaurant, Home Maid, which is a popular brunch spot in Towson, MD. He has three food trucks but acquired his favorite Baltimore donut shop, Donut Alliance, in 2019, renovating and re-opening it in 2020 as the Cloudy Donut Co.
Cloudy Donut Co. is now the #1 vegan donut shop in the nation, offering 44 flavors of delicious animal-free donuts. With flavors like mango chile lime and grapefruit mimosa, the donuts are made from products like applesauce, coconut milk, and shortening. Faulcon has a location in Washington, D.C., and recently opened one in NYC, making history as the first Black-owned business in Brooklyn Heights! He’s also continuing to help his former incarcerated people by providing them jobs and opportunities to use their skills, such as hosting a pop-up series where chefs of color can create vegan desserts to be featured in the shop. Read more
