Founder of Maverick’s Donuts Geoff Vivian shares his passion for business, love for his family, and why brand growth is just the icing on the cake—or the topping on the donut
It all started with an Ottawa donut shop in 2016. There, Geoff Vivian and his team spent four years perfecting recipes for delicious donuts and building a reputation as the renegades of the bakery world. “[We] provide a delicious, consistent donut base with fun and creative toppings,” Vivian says.
When the pandemic hit in 2020, Maverick’s Donut Company refined its concept and began expanding, and it has quickly grown into a franchised brand with locations in Ottawa and soon to come throughout Ontario.
Vivian describes himself as a visionary who is also accommodating and supportive—an ideal mix for a leader at the helm of a franchise system! Here, he digs in to the importance of family, top franchising advice, and his dreams for taking Maverick’s international (look out, U.S.A.!).
“Our recent and continuous growth is a recent success we are very proud of,” he says.
The most interesting thing I’ve done recently is… engaged with prospective franchisees at two Toronto-based franchise shows.
In its best form, work is… personally and financially rewarding.
A good franchisee… represents the brand with hard work and dedication.
A good franchisor… provides support and remains creative with the product line.
My top advice for prospective franchisees is… make sure that ownership has a daily presence within the store.
My top advice for new franchisors is… to let franchisees know both the upside and the downsides of the franchise, and understand that acknowledging a potential failure will help ensure that it doesn’t happen.
The most important thing in life is… family.
One of the most enjoyable things to do is… play hockey with my children.
The hardest thing for me to do is… make my wife happy! But all joking aside, balancing family responsibilities with work responsibilities.
My favourite drink is… Glenfiddich on the rocks—except that I can’t drink it because it wakes me up at night.
If I could change one thing… I would have started Maverick’s Donut Company earlier. But then again, everything happens for a reason.
The person who has had the most positive influence on me as a businessperson is… my uncle Eric.
Canadian franchising is… an exciting way to connect likeminded businesspeople.
The most positive influence on my life as a person is… my mom. She instilled in me a strong work ethic, honesty, and integrity.
The key to success is… hard work.
I’d like my friends to describe me as… loyal.
The accomplishment I look forward to the most is… raising my children to be well-rounded individuals with values that I have instilled.
My personal motto is… work hard—because when do I ever get a chance to play hard?
One necessary item on my life’s “to do” list is… begin franchising in the United States.