A Toronto donut shop owner took to Instagram last week to candidly discuss some of the challenges her small business has faced with the lingering effects of the pandemic as well as the rising cost of goods. 

Glory Hole Doughnuts, located at 1505 Gerrard St. E., is an award-winning donut shop owned and operated by Ashley Jacot De Boinod, who established the business in 2012. 

The business previously operated a location in Parkdale for roughly 10 years before closing its doors in 2022. In a video posted on Instagram last week, Ashley candidly spoke about some of the obstacles her business has faced during the past few years. 

"I just wanted to pop on here to be super transparent with everybody. We are still struggling as a small business. In fact, we all are," she said. 

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"I just spoke to three business owners yesterday back-to-back and they all mirrored the same feeling, and mirrored the same experience as us right now." 

Ashley went on to encourage customers to share, like, and comment under posts as much as possible in an effort to propel small business owners up Instagram's algorithm ladder. 

Although lockdowns have started to fade into the past, Ashley tells blogTO that her small business — like many others across the city — is still struggling to acclimate to this new reality. 

"The past four years have been extremely challenging, to say the least, and we continue to see the effects of COVID not only affecting businesses but the mental health of our society," she explained. 

"Like many other small business owners who have voiced and mirrored the same experience as use, the cost of goods has increased — and continues to increase — in the last four years. When doing comparables, we are shocked at the severity of this. As a consumer doing groceries, we can all see the difference in pricing." 

Ashley says she's also noticed a severe decrease in foot traffic, events, and office gatherings. 

"People just simply can't afford to live! The city has seen a record-high in the demand for food banks. No one is going out, and offices have either chosen to get rid of their spaces or have offered a hybrid work program," she said. 

Along with the effects of the pandemic and the rising cost of goods, Ashley says the effects of climate change have also taken a toll on her business. 

"We have often decided to close up shop if a severe weather warning has come into effect not only for the safety of the team and customers but because we see a severe decrease in sales on these days," she told blogTO. 

"During the winter, its severe snowstorms and ice storms, spring brings on heavy rainfall and flooding, and summer brings on smoke hazards, and heat warnings." 

Having spoken with hundreds of other small business owners over the past few years, Ashley says that every person has expressed the same frustrations, and some have even been forced to take on other full-time positions just to pay themselves. 

"Many have had their landlords increase their rents by double! Some have closed down, and some will have to shut down soon. It's easy for someone to say, 'Hey, you know what you should do,' but until you are in it and see the costs, you'd understand that we have all pivoted to the fullest extent, and nothing has changed drastically enough to see a light. That is just simply the reality," she explained. 

"My hope is by the end of the year, all small businesses will be able to pay off debt incurred during the last four years and see some sort of 'normalcy' again."