Goat Donut Co. to host grand reopening in Leechburg, introducing new lunch menu

Jeremy Smail never expected Goat Donut Co. to evolve the way it has when he and his wife, Ashley Coudriet, opened the business in February 2022 in Leechburg.

“We owned the building, and we really didn’t have a solid plan for it,” Smail said. “We just thought about what could be something fun for the town.”

Smail of Gilpin first imagined the shop could be a morning staple on Market Street, where people could stop in and grab a craft doughnut and coffee to start their day.

“You always start with one vision, and you just adjust and make changes as time goes on,” he said.

The business has experienced a few changes over the years. After realizing the foot traffic was not as high as they’d like, the couple began experimenting with staying open later, adding more baked goods to the menu and adding an ice cream bar to the shop.

In an effort to increase business, Smail and Coudriet, both 42, hired Ronni Venturini as general manager. The couple have begun to take a bit of a “background” role while Venturini acts as their boots on the ground.

Venturini, 56, of Bethel Township, is the mastermind behind the shop’s most recent development: a grand reopening Nov. 1 and a new lunch menu. She has restaurant experience and previously owned a cafe in Bethel Township for four years until covid caused it to shut down in July 2020.

Venturini began working at Goat Donut in May and also has experience in IT, which came in handy when she updated the Goat Donut payment systems.

Venturini said she approached Smail and Coudriet about offering soup and sandwiches and increasing shop hours.

“My wife and I are kind of the financial backers of the business, and we kind of just give her full control,” Smail said.

He said Venturini runs her ideas past the couple for approval, and they lean heavily on her restaurant experience and ideas to lead the business.

“We’re happy that we have a talented, dedicated employee like Ronni who genuinely cares about what she’s doing and loves it,” Smail said.

Starting at 10 a.m., the grand reopening will be a family-friendly event, featuring activities for children, live music, free samples and the introduction of a new lunch menu.

The new lunch menu includes a selection of soups, salads and housemade sandwiches, paninis and wraps.

“We have about six or seven that can either be an 8-inch hoagie, a panini or a wrap,” Venturini said.

Panini options will include a Reuben and a pastrami on rye bread. All of the food options are going to be made and served from behind what used to be the restaurant’s ice cream bar. The shop’s hours will extend from 8 a.m. until 7 p.m., with the sandwich bar opening at 10 a.m.

Each day, Venturini comes in at 7 a.m. to make cookies, danishes, croissants and doughnuts. On Thursdays and Fridays, the shop’s part-time baker comes in at 6 a.m. to make cinnamon rolls and bagels until 10 a.m. The shop opens to customers at 8 a.m. every day.

With the additional hours, Venturini has brought on new part-time hires and will be working the sandwich stand from open to close. As the workers and Venturini adapt to the new hours, adjustments to shifts will be made accordingly.

Smail said his hope is that the added product options will help the business become self-sustaining.

“Our motive in it isn’t to make a ton of money,” he said. “The idea is to keep the storefronts filled and keep the downtown vibrant.”

Smail said he and his wife are heavily invested in the Alle-Kiski Valley area. He is a Gilpin supervisor, and she’s a member of the Leechburg Area School Board.

They own the Portage Inn in Gilpin Township; White Rock Station, which formerly was the Johnetta Campgrounds; and the Sarver Children’s Center building in Freeport. Smail also co-own a seamless gutter supply company with Hill Farm Homes..

“We love the Valley,” Smail said.