There's a new shop for mini donuts just outside Toronto, but it's not like any other... this one was founded by an 11-year-old.

Mini Donut Factory in Aurora specializes in just what it sounds like, mini donuts, and the idea for the shop came straight from the mind of young Aayesha Saleh, now 13.

She came up with the idea for the business during lockdowns back when she was 11.

"The Mini Donut Factory started as a home-based project during the pandemic. We gave our children weekly projects which they had to present on Sundays," Aayesha's dad Yassir Saleh tells blogTO.

"That particular week the children had to come up with a business plan for anything they wanted and present it to the entire family as if they were contestants on Dragon's Den. Our daughter's mini donut concept was unleashed and was a winner."

Fast forward to 2022 and they now have a physical shop open at 15504 Yonge St. in Aurora, selling flavours that came straight from Aayesha's mind like blueberry cheesecake, cookies n' cream, Fruity Pebbles ($8.99 per dozen) and cinnamon sugar ($6.99 per dozen).

"As a family, we knew we had to give it a try," says Saleh. "What better way to gift our children for their hard work? So together we thought of how we could open a storefront with low financial risks."

Aayesha isn't just the founder and face of the business either: the entire family actually works at the business, and there's a good chance you just might meet her if you stop in for some donuts.

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"On weekends you'll be greeted by our children at the cash, making donuts, making social media commercials, brainstorming new ideas to generate new clientele," says Saleh, adding, "Working together as a family has a lot of hurdles and obstacles."

It's not without its rewards, as the shop has actually sold out on occasion.

"We once sold out on Halloween, October 31," says Saleh. "We just closed the store and went home."

The family has big plans and hopes to expand the business by taking their mini donut recipe to market, possibly even distribution across Canada and the United States.