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Peace, Love & Little Donuts offers catering for weddings and special events and can delight guests with any of the sixty plus types of donuts they carry. They can also custom create flavors to make your occasion that much more memorable. Catering Weddings, Parties and Special Events by Melissa LaScaleia Since they first opened their doors in the Market Common in 2017, Peace, Love and Little Donuts has established itself as a funky and happy neighborhood hang-out spot. It’s an easy, cheerful space, where a spirit of fun prevails. And how could it not be, when donuts and coffee are what’s on the menu? There are over sixty possible combinations of available types of donuts, which include several popular cereal and candy bar toppings, as well as more exotic toppings like salted caramel macchiato, and the all-time customer favorite— maple bacon. They even offer doggie donuts— ones with peanut butter frosting with a milk-bone biscuit on top.  They are forever creating new flavors of donuts, some even influenced by patrons’ requests. The donut itself, the canvas upon which a tapestry of gastronomic delights is bedecked, is no ordinary, generic cake recipe.  The franchise, which began in Pittsburg, created a specialized donut to appeal to epicurean tastes, resulting, in the words of Clayton Matthews, the owner of the shop in the Market Common, in “A gourmet donut kind of experience.” To begin the experience, you first stand at the counter as your donut is freshly fried in front of you. Then, on to the donut bar, and witness your selection being dressed before your eyes.  There are three levels of donut decadence: Groovy, Far Out, and Funkadelic, which range, as their titles imply, from something pretty cool to the works. Their rotating Groovy selections are made up of plain, powdered sugar, glazed, and cinnamon sugar. Far Out donuts come with just frosting; and Funkadelic ones are frosted plus any toppings.  In keeping with their theme of fun, they also specialize in catering weddings, special events, and hosting birthday parties at their event space in their store. “We get many wedding requests,” says Clayton. “They’ve evolved into a big part of the events that we cater— everything from being one of the dessert options, to being the only dessert.” Clayton and his team can outfit a wedding with any of the 60 plus donut flavors that they carry, as well as custom-make donuts for your special day to your exacting specifications.  They can create a donut cake, or a donut tier, in which donuts are placed on clear acrylic or gold towers, and range from 2-7 layers high. They also offer 2-pack boxes as wedding favors.  Peace, Love & Little Donuts has beautifully appointed donut tiers in gold and acrylic. Ranging from 2-7 layers high, they artfully show off whatever custom donut-creations you choose. “We can do any custom colors or designs the bride and groom want,” he says. “Since we’ve been open, we’ve done everything from a couple dozen to a thousand custom donuts for one event. “We can even do a hot donut bar onsite at the wedding. The bride and groom choose 6-10 of our donuts, and we make them in front of guests at the wedding just as if you came into our store. Some people offer the donut bar during cocktail hour while the wedding party is doing photos, some do it during dinner, and many do it during both. During the wedding, people can come pick out the donuts they want and we’ll make them for them.” Peace, Love and Little Donuts offers a complimentary in-store tasting for the bride and groom as well as your entire wedding party should you so choose. “What we offer is something different and extremely memorable,” Clayton says. “It’s a lot of fun for everyone because it’s innovative, and because donuts are, simply put, fun.” It’s significantly less expensive than a traditional cake too, and the younger millennial set, the demographic heading to the altar the most often these days, are more in favor of innovation than tradition. But no matter your event, Peace, Love and Little Donuts has you covered. They also host birthday parties for kids of all ages in the private function room in the back of the store where each child has the opportunity to make their own donut.  Peace, Love and Little Donuts Open S-Th 8am-6pm; Fr & Sa 8am-7pm Facebook Envelope Globe Phone

Feed Your Inner Hippie by Melissa LaScaleia Peace, Love, and Little Donuts has been open in the Market Common for the past sixteen months, and has quickly gained in popularity with the Market Common locals, as well as with tourists.  “A lot of our regulars are not from the Market Common,” says Clayton Matthews, the owner and manager. “We have many from Socastee, Surfside, and even Conway. A good majority of our business is in the afternoon; and at night is when we get really busy. People like to stop and pick up donuts before and after dinner.”  Peace, Love, and Little Donuts is not your run-of-the-mill donut munching experience. For starters, the donuts are made from a specific, controlled recipe, not a generic cake donut— and in Clayton’s words it’s, ‘A gourmet donut kind of deal.’  The interior as well as the donuts will feed your inner hippie. — Photo Meganpixels Parker To begin the experience, you first stand at the counter and see your donut being fried right in front of you. Then, on to the donut bar, and witness your selection being dressed up before your eyes.  There are three levels of donut options: Groovy, Far Out, and Funkadelic, which range, as their titles imply, from something pretty cool to the works.  Groovy selections are comprised of: plain, powdered sugar, glazed, and cinnamon sugar. Far Out donuts come with frosting; and Funkadelic ones are frosted plus any toppings.  There are over sixty donut combinations from which to choose, which include several popular cereal and candy bar toppings, as well as more exotic toppings like salted caramel macchiato, and the all-time customer favorite— maple bacon. Other popular options are Apple Pie, Raspberry Truffle, and Peanut Nutter. In addition to the plain cake donut, by the middle of last year, the team had introduced two new flavors— Key lime pie and Robert Brûlée, a creme brûlée inspired donut.  “We feel like we are a positive addition to the Market Common,” Clayton says. “We’ve had a lot of people who have worked for us since the day we opened— our employees are friendly and consistent in staying with us.  “People can walk through the door and see people that they’ve seen before, that they see on an almost daily basis. We try to make sure that everyone who comes through the door has an enjoyable experience. Whether you’re here for two minutes or thirty, we want to make sure we have a relationship with you.”  The Funkadelic donuts. — Photo Meganpixels Parker Peace, Love, and Little Donuts also offers doggie donuts for your favorite four-legged friend. It’s a donut with a peanut butter frosting with a milk-bone biscuit on top.  “Those are really popular,” Clayton says. “We have people who bring their dogs in for one every day, and we don’t get any complaints from the dogs.” Limited quantities of gluten-friendly donuts are available on Tuesdays starting around noon.     There is a full coffee bar serving all the specialty drinks with the addition of Chai Tea and nitro coffee.  Nitro, for the uninitiated, is cold brew coffee on tap, which uses nitrogen, rather than the traditional CO2 to dispense the coffee out of a kegerator. It is drunk without ice, and the nitrogen infusion gives it a creamy texture, so much so that most people who drink it don’t opt to add cream or sugar.  “This is a spot where people can come and hang out at for a bit anytime,” says Clayton. “We enjoy catering to the locals but also to those visiting. One of the fun parts of our job is meeting all the people that visit Myrtle Beach year round. And we look forward to staying open for years to come.”  — Photo Meganpixels Parker Peace, Love, and Little Donuts is a much sought after locale for birthday parties. They have a private party room in the back, and can host up to thirty children at a time. They can even make their own donuts.  The private room is also a popular spot for groups and businesses to host meetings; and they also cater for weddings and parties. Indeed, their options for both are as diverse as their toppings.  “In our first year, we catered over fifty weddings,” says Clayton. “Everything from one dessert to all of the desserts. We also provide an on-site hot donut bar at the wedding just like you can find in our store. And we offer a very popular donut tower in addition to a wedding cake.”  Peace, Love, and Little Donuts    Open daily 8am-7pm Envelope Facebook Phone Internet-explorer

They’re Open! And Bringing a Little Bit of Groovy With Them Clayton Matthews was born in Texas. He grew up in Athens, Georgia. The last 15 years of his life, he’s spent living in Harrisonburg, Virginia, in the Shenandoah Valley, two hours outside of D.C. Clayton attended James Madison University, where he played football and graduated with a business degree. His father was the head football coach for 15 years at the same university, then worked as a TV analyst at ESPN. Clayton was introduced to Myrtle Beach when his father accepted a position with Coastal Carolina’s football team. “When I moved to Myrtle Beach a little over a year ago,” he tells me, “I immediately fell in love with the Market Common and the lifestyle. It became a home to me as soon as I moved here. My friends make fun of me saying that if you want to see me you have to come to Market Common because for the most part, I don’t leave it. The great thing about it… it’s an area for everybody— there’s older retired people and younger people in their 20’s.” After moving here, Clayton and his family wanted to go into some type of business together. Close family friends owned a Peace, Love and Little Donuts in Huntington, West Virginia, so Clayton and his family knew about the franchise and liked the concept. “We were already familiar with the model, and thought it would be great if we brought it to Myrtle Beach,” he tells me. Clayton, and his mother and father, all bought into the business equally 6 months ago, and are co-owners. Kay, his mother, is a retired teacher and a full-time grandma, and did the majority of the design and decorating for the shop. She’ll be around a lot, helping out and making sure things are running smoothly. Clayton is the manager, and the only one who will be involved in a day-to-day capacity. To help them prepare, the franchise director came to Myrtle Beach and spent a few days helping them select a retail space. They went from Litchfield to Conway and looked at every available commercial space; all unanimously agreed that Market Common would be the best area for the shop. “You can pretty much get everything you need here,” Clayton explains. “So opening a business here is a great opportunity. The whole urban lifestyle of the Market Common appealed to us. It’s a family atmosphere donut shop. It’s not, come get your donuts and leave.” The original Peace, Love and Little Donuts began in Pittsburg, PA, in 2009, in chic section of town called the Strip. In less than ten years, the funky store with a retro 70’s vibe has grown to over 25 locations. By the time this goes to print, Clayton’s store will be another, the first in South Carolina. Clayton makes himself a cup of coffee. “We’re going to have a nice seating area— indoor and out,” he tells me. “We have invested a lot of time and energy making sure people feel comfortable when they come in, that it’s an exciting spot, and an exciting experience for people when they first walk through the door.” Peace, Love, and Little Donuts is not your run-of-the-mill donut munching experience. For starters, they’re made from a specific, controlled recipe, not a generic cake donut— and in Clayton’s words: “a gourmet donut kind of deal.” You stand at the counter and see your donut being fried right in front of you. Then, on to the donut bar, and witness your selection being dressed up before your eyes. There are three levels of frosting options: groovy, far out, and funkadelic, which range, as their titles imply, from something pretty cool to the works. There are 60 rotating toppings which include almost every cereal and candy bar out there, as well as more exotic toppings like salted caramel, and the all-time customer favorite— maple bacon. “This is a completely new thing to me,” Clayton confesses with a laugh. “It’s really exciting, it’s trial by fire. And it’s something I feel I have a passion for.” Peace, Love and Little Donuts offers some of the best coffee and gourmet donuts around. They also offer doggie donuts for your favorite four-legged friend. It’s a donut with a peanut butter frosting with a milk-bone biscuit on top, and immensely popular with the pooches. Gluten friendly donuts for people will be available on Monday mornings once they get more established. There is a full coffee bar serving all the specialty drinks with the addition of cold brew coffee and nitro coffee. Nitro is the newest niche offering amongst coffee connoisseurs— and it’s gaining a rapid, passionate following. It’s cold brew coffee on tap, which uses nitrogen, rather than the traditional co2 to dispense the coffee out of a kegerator. It is drunk without ice, and the nitrogen infusion gives it a creamy texture, so much so that most people who drink it don’t have to add cream or sugar. “It’s extremely important to me that the store adds to what people term as the Market Common lifestyle,” Clayton says, in speaking to me about his goals. “I want this to be a successful and positive addition to the community… And I think it will be. I think people will love what we do. People can walk through the door and see people that they’ve seen before, that they see on an almost daily basis. This is a spot they can come and hang out at for a bit on a Sunday afternoon. A lot of businesses in Myrtle Beach thrive on tourists. But I want it to be successful… we want this to be successful with Market Common and Myrtle Beach people who work here on a daily basis.” Peace, Love and Little Donuts, Open 6:30am-9pm depending on the season. Peace, Love, and Little Donuts offers catering for your special event or host your event on their premises in their private … Read more

One Woman’s Life-Long Mission by Melissa LaScaleia On a hot day in July, Angie, a resident of the Market Common, and Grayson, a temporary one, come to meet me. Angie is here to talk about Peace, Love & Paws, Inc., the non-profit animal rescue she started, and the grim reality of the dogs that she finds as well as their fate if they aren’t rescued. “In the past, when I volunteered at shelters, it was really sad. They kill these dogs, puppies like him, and he’s perfect,” she says, pointing to the unselfconscious Grayson blissfully sprawled between us. “In the North and places like California, there are mandatory spay and neuter laws. We don’t have restrictions like that here in the South, so it just adds to the problem. Dogs are released and have more puppies and they’re dumped back at the shelter. Horry County Shelter took in roughly 7,860 animals last year, and over 4,000 were killed. That’s more than 50%. This is in Conway; this is right here.” One of Angie’s goals is to grow her small-scale spay and neuter program that provides financial support for those who can’t afford the service for their pet. Right now, she is able to sponsor about 2-4 per month, but she needs help and resources to grow the program. “I’m a new rescue, and it’s just me and a couple people, like my transporter, Lisa Saunders, trying to make a difference in our community,” Angie says. “We want to grow this business— to educate people on the importance of spaying and neutering and on keeping your dog for its entire life— as well as to save more dogs in our area.” How can our community help? “We always need fosters,” Angie says. “When you foster, you get dogs ready for the world. It doesn’t have to be long term, usually a month or so. You foster a dog, you save a dog’s life. And we always need donations. The cost of spaying/neutering, vaccinations, food, and many have health problems that need to be treated— the minimum cost is several hundred dollars with every rescue to get them ready for a permanent home. Every dollar counts.” “It’s really a lot of work, but it’s saving lives, and that changes yours,” she adds. “When you see these dogs with nobody, and then with the right family, it’s just the best. It’s been so rewarding for me, I would love to do this exclusively.” Angie’s devotion for animals is so strong, that for years before she became a non-profit she sponsored, fostered, donated, and transported dogs, often paying for their care out of pocket before they found a permanent home. Grayson is her 61st foster that she’s cared for personally. “Rescuing is a very passionate thing,” she says. “If you’re in rescue, it’s something you sleep, breathe and eat. You see these dogs, and it’s like, I just have to do something. Angie Westfall can be reached by facebook or email, details down below. She and her canine rescues welcome anyone who wants to help. Facebook At