Sugar and spice and inspiration: It’s all just nice at Mooresville’s Down for Doughnuts

MOORESVILLE – Inspiration is nice the way it is, but coat it with a sugar glaze and maybe a few sprinkles, and you’ll have something special – it’s all offered at Down for Doughnuts.

In his previous life, David Cooper was a career banker. His wife, Lisa, works as an exceptional children’s teacher in Mooresville and their daughter, Regan, is also an EC teacher. Their first child, Zach, was born in 1989 with many challenges, including Down syndrome, a cleft palate, congenital cataracts and hearing issues.

When David was given the opportunity to retire early, he began thinking of a new career – one that Zach could assist with as well as providing employment opportunities for other children facing similar challenges.

“When Zach was young, he wanted to go to work with his dad,” Lisa said. “At first we didn’t know what that would be.”

When David and Lisa asked Zach what sort of business he wanted to be a part of, he told them that he wanted to own a donut shop, and “Down for Doughnuts” was born, opening in 2020 – just in time for the COVID pandemic.

“Part of the reason why we opened the donut shop was because when Zach was going to Mooresville High School, we were trying to get his OCS (Occupational Course of Study) degree so that he could graduate with a diploma,” David said. “To do that, they have to get work hours. We had a really hard time finding places that would allow Zach to work. We were fortunate to find a good friend who worked at a local Food Lion, and we met some folks who worked at Johnny Brusco’s on the Lake, and he was able to get his hours through those two.”

Down for Doughnuts currently employs eight individuals with disabilities.

There was of course, quite a learning curve to go from being a career banker to owning a donut shop.

“One of the things that really makes us special is the ability to make custom Doughnuts,” David said. “We make our Doughnuts fresh every single day. Anything that is left over we do our best to get it to several different locations such as the soup kitchen and other organizations working with unsheltered people. That way, you can customize it any way you want. You can’t do that anywhere else.”

Zach’s favorite job is to sit up at the cash register and meet people. His favorite donut is maple bacon, and his recent special donut creation is the Elvis, which is a Bavarian cream-filled donut with peanut butter icing topped with bacon.

Down for Doughnuts Foundation

The Down for Doughnuts Foundation was established to live out the company’s business motto – “Made to Inspire.” The foundation raises funds to support Down for Doughnuts and other local businesses that hire, employ, and give persons with special needs a chance to have an enhanced sense of personal value and worth and be a contributing factor in an inclusive work setting.

Tax-deductible donations help “Inspire” others across the local community and beyond. There are multiple donation options, with monthly contributions or one-time gifts, and every donation is a 501(c)(3) charitable gift.

The Coopers feel blessed to offer this way to donate and help other businesses taking on the mission to provide dignity and self-worth to an underserved but fabulous community of loving and helpful people.

Donation link – givebutter.com/DownforDoughnuts.

Want to go?

Down for Doughnuts is at 880 E. Iredell Ave. It’s open Tuesday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., and Saturdays, 7:30 a.m. to noon. Down for Doughnuts offers catering, custom cakes and cupcakes. For more information, call 980-444-2660 or visit downfordoughnuts.com.
Source: Lake Norman Publications, Oct 28, 2026