Calvin “DJ Infamous” Donald and his wife, Ashanta Donald, have opened a franchise of Panda Pancakes, a Florida-based specialty breakfast food brand, at North Point Mall in Alpharetta.
Located in a pink and white kiosk across from the mall’s food court, it is a dessert bar mixed with a quick-service brunch stand, selling customized mini-pancakes. In addition to being a partner in the food company’s first location in Georgia, DJ Infamous is Ludacris’ official tour deejay.
For his first venture outside of music, Infamous said he wanted to invest in something family-friendly.
“It looked fun, something kids would enjoy and different than the restaurants, clubs, lounges and hookah bars that my peers have,” he said. “My kids took the batter, made it their way, came back and told me it was a good move.
Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com
Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com
The menu includes items like dulce de leche pancakes with caramel sauce and chocolate chips. The “Rainbow puffies” pancakes come with M & M’s and white chocolate sauce, while the “Nutella babes” have bananas, Nutella sauce and milk chocolate. The kiosk also serves specialty coffees, flavored lemonade and breakfast sandwiches.
During a recent visit while Panda Pancakes was in a soft-opening phase, Smyrna resident Cymone Coker customized her order of 15 small pancakes with strawberries, banana, Nutella and whipped cream. She said she plans to return to indulge in other menu options.
“I loved every bite of it and scraped the bowl for more,” Coker said. “The pancakes were warm, fluffy and had the perfect crisp along the outside.”
Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com
Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com
The Donalds decided to invest in Panda Pancakes after selling their home in Ellenwood and relocating to Alpharetta in 2022. Ashanta Donald, who manages operations, discovered the restaurant chain on Instagram, and the couple spent eight months training with the company and scouting locations.
They chose North Point Mall due to the lower cost to rent space. “It was a decision of $75,000 versus $15,000, so it fiscally made more sense,” she said.
A former radio personality for Atlanta station V-103, Calvin Donald began working with Ludacris in 2011. He said his spouse sacrificed her dreams so that he could fulfill his professional goals.
“I couldn’t have gotten to this height or mentally where I am if she didn’t take a couple of steps back to make sure I can do all that I’m doing,” he said. “She’s the boss.”
On tour and in the studio, he had regular discussions with Ludacris about business deals, negotiations and ideal investments. The deejay says he felt more like a colleague than an employee.
“We have so much fun because we work together instead of him telling me what to do,” Calvin Donald said.
He admits that his notoriety from backing Ludacris, hosting nightclub residencies and radio caused him to develop an ego at one point. He said going into business with his wife, with whom he’ll celebrate 10 years of marriage this year, is teaching him humility.
“You can’t have a bighead in a marriage. With this new business, we had to figure out what works for us and talk more,” he said.
“At first, it was a few thousand dollars here and there, but this is a different ballgame with real money invested. If she tells me how something is supposed to go and I don’t know, then I have to follow her.”
Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com
Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com
According to Ashanta, professional and family matters are kept separate.
“When we’re having a business conversation, we keep the personal stuff and marriage out of it,” Ashanta said. “At home, we prioritize patience, communication, relearning each other and not comparing ourselves to other relationships,” she said.
The Donalds are currently focused on staffing and spreading the word about Panda Pancakes while building an empire together.
“I’m having a great time doing this. As we keep leveling up, we need good team members. We’re giving our friends and peers that are dope a shot to help us grow our businesses,” he said.
11 a.m.-7 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 10. North Point Mall, 100 North Point Circle, Alpharetta. PandaPancakes.com
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