Eagle Boys Pizza founder Tom Potter opens Galactic Donuts in Caloundra

The mastermind behind a former multinational pizza empire is trying his hand at a doughnut brand, which is now making its way to the Sunshine Coast.

Galactic Donuts founders Tom Potter and Warwick Jones at their Camoundra store. Picture: Patrick Woods.

The founder of a once-famous multinational pizza empire is bringing his new booming doughnut company to the Sunshine Coast.

Galactic Donuts is opening a $250,000 store along Bowman Rd, Caloundra on Friday, March 24, serving fresh and yeast-raised doughnuts in more than 30 flavours, from biscoff to iced coffee.

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Galactic Donuts founder Tom Potter started the brand in March, 2022 having become a well-known entrepreneur by starting one of the largest pizza chains in the country, Eagle Boys Pizza, in 1987, which he sold in 2007.

After hanging up his pizza apron, Mr Potter, a baker by trade, said he later opened Crusty Devil Bakery in Brisbane in 2011, which became a “smash hit” with its goodies, including its signature doughnuts.

He said seeing this success, alongside a “doughnut craze” in Victoria, spurred him to build a doughnut-only brand in Queensland.

“We just sat down with a blank sheet of paper and created Galactic Donuts,” he said.

Galactic Donuts founders Tom Potter and Warwick Jones at their Caloundra store. Picture: Patrick Woods.

Mr Potter said he started with a store in Townsville before expanding to Rockhampton, Brisbane, two venues in Toowoomba, and now the latest outlet in Caloundra.

He said customers were heading to his stores mostly because of his doughnut variety, quality and price.

He also said 90 per cent of what he learnt while running Eagle Boys Pizza - from site selection to understanding demographics - has helped him run his new brand.

Mr Potter said his upcoming $250,000, 25-staff venue in Caloundra won’t compete against existing outlets such as Dough Ho or Kenilworth Bakery, because they were too far away from him.

He said he wanted to spread further across the state and was interested in Noosa, but wanted to find the right business partner.

Potter has partnered with Sunshine Coast residents Warwick and Shar Jones to open their 65sq m shop in Caloundra.

Mr Jones, 53 who once opened an Eagle Boys Pizza in Coolum Beach at the age of 25, said he was happy to go into business with Mr Potter because of his prior success with his pizza chain, and they respected each other.

“It’s Tom Potter,” he said.