Quickly Jump To:
Introduction To Puerto Rico's Miniature Donuts
Like many regions around the world, Puerto Rico has a rich street food culture with an abundance of sweet and savory options. Although food truck culture hasn't quite reached the craze that it has here in the states, Puerto Rico is well known for its many food kiosks, stands, and literal "hole in the wall" establishments offering quick bites.
One of the most popular sweet snacks served up all around Puerto Rico are "mini donas" or miniature donuts! These lightly sweetened pillowy clouds of dough make for the perfect snack at any time of the day. The ones covered in snow-like powdered sugar make the perfect accompaniment to a "cafe con leche" (coffee with milk) in the morning or go wild and have one topped with bacon! That's breakfast, right?! Throughout the day you can let your imagination go wild with several options of flavored icings and fun toppings.
Mini donut stands are frequently seen all across Puerto Rico located near the entrance of big box department stores such as Walmart and Kmart. But you no longer have to fly to Puerto Rico to enjoy one of the island's favorite sweets. If you are in the Central Florida area you can make mini donuts your new guilty pleasure by stopping by one of the three locations for Javi Mini Donuts in Orlando and Kissimmee!
A Quick History Of Javi Mini Donuts
Javi Mini Donuts was started by Felix "Javi" Torres who credits his wife for the idea of bringing the concept to the Orlando and Kissimmee areas. Javi is originally from Caguas, Puerto Rico, and was always inspired by seeing the success of many baked potatoe food stands in Puerto Rico (another island favorite).
The family didn't get into the food truck business right away. In fact, Javi went to an avaiation mechanic school in Clearwater, Florida and then worked for over 15 years as an auto mechanic at a couple different shops; at the same time, Mrs. Torres worked at a local bodega (a small grocery/convenience store specializing in LatinX products). Neither of the two ever had any professional cooking experience beyond cooking at home for their three children.
The opportunity to purchase their first food truck came in 2009 when they learned that one was up for sale. "We had just come back from a cruise and were eating at a food truck", Javi recalled, "and that's when one of our friends told us that one was for sale." Remembering the inspiration of the baked potatoe stands from his youth in Puerto Rico, the Torres family purchased the truck. They were now in the food truck business!
Their first food truck, "Sabor Latino" (latin flavor), served the late night South Orlando crowd on Orange Blossom Trail for many years. During these early years, Javi continued working as a full-time mechanic by day and then assisted his wife who ran the food truck full-time. Sabor Latino offers a delicious varied menu of typical Puerto Rican dishes.
The mini donuts concept was originally tested out in the couple's second food truck, "Dame un Ñaqui" (gimme a piece/bite), which serves up quick bites and finger foods. Javi Mini Donuts almost didn't come to fruition. In 2014 the couple considered selling the Sabor Latino food truck and took a two year break from the business.
"It's not easy to start or to keep it going", Javi explained, "but all the hard work and sweat are part of the process." Lucky for all of us, the Torres family got back into the business in 2016 when their Sabor Latino food truck was one of the first to join Orlando's only permenant food truck showcase, "World Food Trucks", located across the street from the Old Town attractions and shopping area in Kissimmee, Florida.
The family now works full time in the food truck business, operating Sabor Latino, Dame un Ñaqui, Javi Funnel Cakes, and three Javi Mini Donuts locations.
Where To Find Javi Mini Donuts
Javi Mini Donuts currently has three locations in Central Florida ready to serve you one of Puerto Rico's favorite sweet snacks!
World Food Trucks Location (Kissimmee)
The original kiosk is located in the center of the World Food Trucks showcase in Kissimmee, Florida. This location is just a couple of minutes drive from Walt Disney World and nearby Kissimmee attractions such as Old Town and Fun Spot Kissimmee! Stop by Sabor Latino for some traditional Puerto Rican mofongo and then to Javi Mini Donuts for a sweet treat!
Open Monday to Friday 11AM to 12AM and weekends 12PM to 12AM
Sand Lake Food Trucks Park Location (Orlando)
If you are closer to the International Drive area of Orlando, stop by the Sand Lake Food Trucks Park. This location is just minutes from the Orange County Convention Center and the many restuarants, hotels, and attractions along the Inernational Drive cooridor.
Address: 5001 Sand Lake Rd, Orlando, FL 32819
Open Wednesday to Sunday 4PM to 12AM
Orlando Premium Outlets Location
The newest location of Javi Mini Donuts opened July 2022 at the Orlando Premium Outlets. This location is perfect for snacking after a day of shopping or refueling for some more shopping. Check them out after a day at Universal Orlando Resort (just minutes away), a morning/afternoon at Fun Spot America, or just go straight to their cool kiosk that has a donut with sprinkles as the roof while you enjoy some fresh mini donuts!
Address: 4951 International Dr, Orlando, FL 32819 (next to the Banana Republic)
Open Monday to Saturday 10AM to 9PM and Sundays 11AM to 8PM
Ordering At Javi Mini Donuts
Javi Mini Donuts are made fresh to order and they have several tasty and fun options for toppings. First, pick your quantity: choose either 6 or 12. If you need to feed a crowd, there's even a bucket that comes with 24 or 36 deliciously pillowy mini donuts (psst: you can even refill the bucket at a discount).
Oh, and let me tell you from experience, you WILL want more than you think, so don't shy away from going big.
Next, choose from one of their homemade icing options. Go classic with a traditional sugar glaze, fruity with strawberry or guava, nutty with Nutella or peanut butter, or go extra decadent with condensed milk or dulce de leche! There are several more options to choose from, so have some fun with it.
Last, but maybe the best part, the toppings! Choose from a variety of crumbled cookies, breakfast cereals, candies, powered sugar, and more; be creative and have fun. Be sure to have your camera ready because all creations are super Instagram worthy!
In case your mouth isn't already watering, how about a slow motion Nutella drizzle?
Although I haven't had the pleasure of enjoying every single combination, I really liked the mini donuts with a cocount cream glaze topped with shredded coconut. Since every order is made fresh, the donuts are slightly crispy on the exterior with a warm and soft center. The quality of the dough and toppings are really what makes these combinations extra special.
Contributing To Orlando's LatinX Culture
Javi Mini Donuts is more than just a business venture. Between each of the food trucks, Javi and his wife employ nearly 20 individuals, many of whom are originally from Puerto Rico, Venezuela, or Colombia. The couple takes pride in being able to contribute to the livelihood of their hard working extended family.
Miniature donuts are something familiar to Puerto Ricans who've made their way to Central Florida for one reason or another. There are nearly 5.7 million Puerto Ricans living within the mainland United States, compared to just 3.2 million who live on the island, and about 1.2 million live in Florida.
In the Orlando Metro Area, consisting generally of Orange, Osceola, Seminole, and Lake counties, there are approximately 385,000 Puerto Ricans with nearly 1 in every 2.5 residents of Kissimmee (including me) having roots on the island. Eateries such as Sabor Latino and Javi Mini Donuts help connect Central Florida visitors and residents to some of the best Puerto Rican dishes and snacks.
Sharing a piece of their culture is what inspires Javi and his family to continue to expand their food truck business. They find it rewarding to share one of Puerto Ricos favorite sweet snacks with Central Florida residents as a way to connect back to the island or to introduce their culture to others (residents or tourists) through their food.
As for the future of Javi Mini Donuts? Well, they have plans to continue to make these pillowy fun snacks accessible across the country, especially in cities with large concentrations of Puerto Ricans. A personal goal of Javi is to have a location in Times Square, New York City. We think it would make a SWEET addition!
Follow Javi Mini Donuts
Follow Javi Mini Donuts on Instagram and Facebook! Make sure to check out one of their three locations and tag @Pedacitos.Blog so we can see your Instagramable mini donut dreams come true. Stay tuned because we heard that there may be franchise opportunities available in the near future!