Sweet Success With More Layers Than You Can Imagine
PHOTOS BY JORDAN RANDALL
There are even more layers to the story of the founding of the Parlor Doughnuts franchise in Lakeland than in their trademark creations that are crispy on the outside and light and fluffy on the inside. While delighted customers might describe them as “divine” there are in fact many answers to prayer woven together that resulted in the birth of a place that is already establishing itself as a spot for people to come together and connect amidst the chaos of modern life.
Walk into the spacious locale of 351 E. Bay St. Downtown and you’ll recognize a harmonious blend of form and function that shows off a strong brand identity that incorporates nostalgic elements as well as customized nods to Lakeland’s unique culture, including a mural by local artist Maegan Carroll-Simmons. If you’re lucky you’ll also be graced by the presence of Justin Williams, an energetic 33-year-old former youth theatre star, college football player and civic-minded entrepreneur who has served on numerous boards and councils, to name just a few of the experiences that have shaped him.
He is one of the partners—alongside his wife, Nikki, his parents, Reeser and Jennifer Williams and family friends Toby and Christina Hitchcock—that brought one of America’s fastest growing bakery and cafe brands to the Swan City to offer up several dozen foodie favorite doughnut options, savory artisan breakfast offerings, specialty coffees, fruity refreshers and more.
Sure he and Nikki own shares in five Florida Parlor Doughnuts locations, and it would be easy to get caught up in the long lines and fanfare associated with the whirlwind of being part of a chic brand, but at the end of the day their mission is more simple, kind of like one of their Plain Jane doughnuts: help people pause, reflect and celebrate, while enjoying a memorable drink and bite to eat.
“When you think of a parlor, not just the doughnut shop, but when you think of what [Parlor Doughnuts co-founder] Darrick Hayden wanted this to be...you have to have the variable of community,” Williams says, referring to the motto of one of the men who launched the brand in Evansville, Ind. in 2019.
If anyone can appreciate the opportunity to reflect deeply it’s Williams. To truly understand what it means for him to lead his staff and make a difference in the hospitality industry you need to go back more than half a century to rural Haiti.
When looking for a savory option customers might go for the spinach pesto breakfast sandwich or avocado toast.
When his dad was six years old he was bleeding to death due to severe hematomas. In an act of faith and last gasp effort to save Reeser’s life, his father Justin, the namesake of the Parlor Doughnuts franchisee, walked his son 22 miles and dropped him off at a Christian orphanage in their native Haiti.
“That night, there is a specialist out of Cleveland, Ohio [who was there as a medical missionary]...the only one who knew how to do surgery at that point, and he was at the orphanage that night,” says Justin, getting a little emotional.
That doctor brought Reeser to the United States, and over the years he underwent a handful of surgeries, including one where a surgeon nicked his vocal cords. Miraculously, Reeser’s voice has been a gift God has used in many ways over the years, including as a worship leader with his wife at various churches, including for a church in Indiana that started the orphanage in Haiti that his father dropped him off at.
What does all of that have to do with sweet morsels, strong coffee and making a living in the food industry?
Justin’s first impression of Parlor Doughnuts as a customer in 2021 was it enveloped a culture where community mattered and people could “feel the sacredness of breaking bread.”
Whether customers were biting into a picture perfect croissant breakfast sandwich, enjoying a loaded slice of avocado toast or starting their day with an antioxidant rich acai bowl he saw people linger and connect.
Along his own journey he has broken bread with many in a variety of contexts.
He has done it as a mentor to students and families as an influential youth pastor, he has served with his dad on the mission field—including in Haiti—and his passion for doing God’s work even led him to authoring a book titled “The Project: Changing Lives One Meal at a Time” that was released earlier this year, chronicling his family’s experience serving poor and homeless populations in Haiti and the Dominican Republic and offering an inspiring call to action for all.
Nikki and Justin started their adventure as Parlor Doughnuts franchisees as part of an ownership group that operates locations in Venice, Siesta Key, Clearwater and Largo. There are currently more than 100 Parlor locations, including 22 in Florida. Williams admits each location has a unique story, and some take off more naturally than others. He was interested in a location on the outskirts of Disney World, possibly somewhere around Celebration, when he and the Lakeland-store ownership group received word that the rights to open locations in Polk County were available.
He vividly remembers sitting in the parking lot directly outside the Lakeland store soon after that call.
“There’s an element, I think, of how I process information that is a little different than other people,” says Justin, who graduated from college with a Bachelor’s Degree in psychology. “I just visualized it—I saw a beautiful building…and I could see people gathering here.”
Toby and Christina flew down from Indiana. They saw the vision. Nikki saw the vision. And Justin’s parents—they trusted their son on this one.
Toby and Christina are more than just business partners to the Williams, they are true friends. The Hitchocks have lived their lives on mission as well, including founding the nonprofit Knot Alone, an organization that provides live music and supportive community to people battling cancer.
Justin, Nikki and their children, Shiloh and Milo, moved to Lakeland in late 2024.
Justin is the general manager of the Lakeland store, and one of his proudest feats is the team he has built. Assistant manager Rylie was such a valuable employee at the Venice store that she was offered a promotion to move to Lakeland. He relies on team member Madi to engage with locals through Parlor’s social media channels, and ultimately his goal is to teach his staff the skills someone once poured into him.
The Parlor culture is big on “we” over “me” and the internal expectations of excellence—which start every morning around 3 a.m. with the preparation of freshly made dough—are in place to emphasize that customers are walking into “an experience” not just a place to eat.
On March 29, 2025 the Parlor Doughnuts on Bay Street opened to a rousing crowd ready to taste what they had only heard about and to cement a new memory in their timeline.
“To see a line out the door for six hours,” Justin says, “that’s overwhelming dude. And my fondest memory was seeing my 62-year old dad out there. He got himself a Lakeland T-shirt and he’s out there, so happy.”
The Parlor Doughnuts team will get people hyped about its latest seasonal offerings like the Apple Pie Filled doughnut and work diligently to earn new business through its catering service, but it will always be just as much about the people as the products.
“My father was an orphan from the poorest country on Earth, and now he is part owner of a restaurant that feeds people.”
The Williams are all-in on Lakeland, already supporting several local nonprofits and partnering with other businesses to create win-wins that strengthen the community.
Whether it’s in a trendy cafe, at home or in a developing country, it’s all about changing lives one meal at a time.
“My father was an orphan from the poorest country on Earth, and now he is part owner of a restaurant that feeds people.”
Parlor Doughnuts
351 East Bay Street, Lakeland, FL 33809