From Nurses to Donuts: Building The Sugar Queen from Scratch
What does it really take to leave healthcare and build a thriving food business from scratch?
In this episode of The Big Orange Business Podcast, Haley Jones sits down with Staci Meyer, owner of The Sugar Queen Creamery and The Donut Tree, to share the full story behind one of Knoxville’s most beloved dessert brands.
Staci walks through:
- Leaving nursing and healthcare to start a family business
- Growing from a food truck into two brick-and-mortar locations
- Why everything they make is truly scratch-made
- Bringing donuts back after customers waited years
- Staffing, systems, and surviving explosive demand
- Choosing South Knoxville and building a destination business
From donuts and pretzels to ice cream, cheesecake, and ice cream cakes, this episode is packed with real-world lessons on entrepreneurship, community, and building something people truly love.
If you’re interested in small business growth, food entrepreneurship, or local Knoxville success stories, this episode is for you.
