“The training and the background I received at the CIA gave me the tools to become a great chef. You learn so much technique that you leave with a well-rounded education and a strong set of skills,” Kamal says. You’re surrounded by like-minded people all who have a passion for food. “I got so much out of my time at the CIA. Kamal’s personal vision, education, and drive are the basis for his business acumen-a foundation he began formulating at school. The shop even developed a cult following with Atlanta-based Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim, whose nightly “bumps” (clever messages in between commercials) gave Sublime Doughnuts a national audience. News & World Report’s “America’s Best Doughnuts” list in 2013. Food & Wine Editor-in-Chief Dana Cowin included Sublime Doughnuts on her list of “2012 Best Doughnuts in America” Bake Magazine named Sublime Doughnuts “America’s Best Bakery of 2012” and their “out-of-the-ordinary ring of fried dough” landed them on U.S. He has expanded with a location in the Briar Cliff area of Atlanta, and two shops inside Atlanta’s Mercedez Benz stadium.Īlong with business opportunities came the accolades. In April 2016, Kamal open a second outpost of Sublime Doughnuts in the North Druid Hills section of Atlanta, and this shop is open 24 hours a day. “Opening a doughnut shop in Thailand was great and scary at the same time, but I think food is universal and we really live in a small world,” says Kamal. The new store opened in February 2012 and its popularity has added a new dimension to Kamal’s business-franchising. In 2011, an entrepreneur from Thailand approached Kamal with a proposal to open a Sublime Doughnut in Bangkok.
“I really believed the adage ‘Make it and they will come.’ Happily, business has increased steadily since we opened,” “I didn’t have a lot of money for advertising, so word of mouth was pretty important in the early days,” explained Kamal. But when Kamal passed a defunct doughnut shop with a “For Lease” sign in the window, he jumped at the chance to own his own shop. The admission counselors were very helpful and guided me through the veteran’s admission process.”Īfter graduating from the CIA with an associate degree in baking and pastry, Kamal worked as a production supervisor at the Flowers Baking Company, where he baked as many as 1,000 loaves of bread a day.
“I was able to use my GI Bill and the Navy College Fund for tuition. “If you want to be a chef you should go learn from great chefs at the world’s premier culinary college,” says Kamal. The Navy was good for me because it helped me grow up and gave me structure.” The Navy also exposed him to different cuisines and flavor profiles from around the world, which expanded his palate and prepared him for the CIA. “It was my first taste of large-scale baking and I saw how much my shipmates loved doughnuts. “When I graduated high school I enlisted in the Navy and served as a Baker 3rd Class Petty Officer on the USS John Young,” Kamal says.
A visit to his school from The Culinary Institute of America sealed the deal. When I saw my first return customer, I felt confident in the future.” Kamal’s doughnuts, like the Maple Bacon Cheddar, Salted Caramel & Reduced Balsamic Vinegar, Orange Dream Star, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup, and Fresh Strawberry N Cream, quickly caught on with Atlanta’s culinary aficionados and food writers.Ī high school career day presentation by a Dunkin’ Donuts executive lit a spark in Kamal and gave him the idea of becoming a baker and owning his own business. I’d tell my customers that I only use the best quality ingredients to create the best quality product and it would be the best doughnut they’ve ever tasted. “People really didn’t know what to make of my creations. “At first it was a struggle,” says Kamal. Instead, Kamal held fast to his belief that his creative flavor combinations and artistic presentation would win over patrons. The chef/owner of Sublime Doughnuts refused to serve the expected jelly, chocolate, or sugar varieties. Kamal Grant took a big chance with his business plan for his small bakery in Atlanta’s Westside neighborhood.
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