In 2016, twin brothers Amin and Amir Bahari attended UT. By day, Amin worked for the football team, where he was surrounded by high-protein snacks and shakes. By night, however, the brothers often found themselves at a West Campus donut shop.
Rather than give up donuts entirely, the brothers became inspired to create a healthier donut and began experimenting with recipes in their apartment kitchen. In 2017, they officially launched Elite Sweets, which specializes in making “better-for-you” donuts: high protein, low sugar, gluten-free, and keto-friendly.
“You could tell it was a healthier donut, but it wasn’t one of those protein snacks that you try and you’re like, ‘I’ll never have (this) again,’” said Alyssa Messina, an Elite Sweets customer and a health content creator. “It was one of those that you’d keep in your routine.”
On June 26, Amin Bahari was featured in the Season 11 premiere of Entrepreneur Media’s “Entrepreneur Elevator Pitch.” On the show, entrepreneurs have 60 seconds to pitch their business to a panel of investors. If an investor is interested, they can make the business owner an offer. Bahari said he felt confident and well-prepared before his pitch.
“I was trying to enjoy the moment,” Bahari said. “(I was) taking in what they have to say, their feedback and ultimately doing the best I can to put my business in a position to hopefully bring them on as an investor.”
Dhani Jones, a former NFL linebacker and “Elevator Pitch” judge, made Elite Sweets an offer for $200 thousand.
“I grew up watching him play football on TV in the NFL, so it’s a full circle moment,” Bahari said.
Bahari said Elite Sweets plans to use the investment to launch a line of donut holes with new flavors. In the long term, he said he hopes the brand lives long beyond him.
“I think what my brother and I have done is build a great foundation for the business,” Bahari said. “I’m proud of what we’ve done — I’d love to see Elite Sweets continue to grow and grow.”
Timothy Cole, a UT alumnus and one of the original co-founders of Elite Sweets, said UT provided invaluable support and resources in the company’s beginning through enrollment in the Longhorn Startup Lab in the spring of 2017. There they received weekly mentorship from Austin-based entrepreneurs.
At the end of that semester, Elite Sweets pitched at the 2017 WeWork Creator Awards and received a $360 thousand investment which they used to move into a commercial kitchen.
“We would go there every Tuesday and crank out donuts from 1 p.m. to almost midnight,” Cole said. “It was brutal, but it was fun because we (were) learning things.”
Bahari said that his time at UT, particularly his experience working with the football team, helped him realize that he and his brother could be successful as entrepreneurs.
“We didn’t come from an entrepreneur background,” Bahari said. “We had to really learn everything on our own. That’s been the most humbling but also (the) most satisfying kind of (reward).”
