“They were my biggest influencers; I look up to them. I grew up knowing I wanted to do something similar,” she said.
She earned a degree in restaurant management from the University of Houston, worked as a food and beverage supervisor at Hyatt Regency, then became a flight attendant. She eventually managed her parents’ doughnut shops.
On Dec. 17, 2021, Park fulfilled a lifelong dream when she opened Honeybird Sandwiches + Donuts in Flower Mound.
She said she mimicked her parents’ menu to a point in that they both serve doughnuts and savory items, but she also pulled ideas from beyond Texas.
“I wanted something more made to order, so I came up with the idea of doing breakfast sandwiches, because I saw ... in New York and Los Angeles, egg sandwiches were booming there.”
She also added chicken sandwiches to her fare, because she said she “would choose a chicken sandwich over a burger, so I wanted to serve something I really love.”
Park arrives at 1 a.m. to start making doughnuts and prepping the fresh ingredients that go into the doughnuts.
“The doughnut recipes, I brought from my family,” she said. “They have a bacon maple doughnut, but they use bacon bits; here we make the bacon every morning. All our ingredients are super fresh.”
Customers will find a variety of classic doughnuts, such as glazed, chocolate and sprinkles, as well as specialty doughnuts, such as strawberry shortcake and pumpkin spice. She creates all the specialty doughnut recipes and enjoys drawing inspiration from around the world, she said.
Park recalls feeling nervous and excited when she opened the doors for the first time.
“I felt like it was the first day of school,” she said. “You’re familiar with what will happen, but it’s completely different.”
She counts many aspects of business ownership as her favorite, including hiring the right people. She said three of the nine employees have been with her since day one.
“I’m not the type of person who does well in an office setting,” she said. “I’ve always dreamed of owning my own business.”
Honeybird Sandwiches + Donuts
801 International Parkway, Ste. 520, Flower Mound
469-464-4315
www.honeybirddfw.com
Hours: Mon.-Thu. 7 a.m.-3 p.m.,
Fri.-Sun. 7 a.m.-7 p.m.
