OMG! Decadent Donuts has been named one of just 10 finalists in the prestigious 2026 AFR BOSS Most Innovative Companies Awards – and we’re the only food business to make the list!
Who would have thought that selling just 64 donuts at a suburban farmers’ market in Brisbane would be the beginning of something quite so extraordinary?
Fast forward to today, and OMG! Decadent Donuts has grown into an international business, with 88 independent business owners across Australia, New Zealand and Singapore, more than 20 million donuts sold and an estimated $60 million in retail sales.
And now we have another reason to celebrate!
OMG! has been named one of just 10 finalists in the Manufacturing and Consumer Goods category of the 2026 Australian Financial Review BOSS Most Innovative Companies Awards.
Presented by the Australian Financial Review in partnership with KPMG Australia, these prestigious awards recognise businesses that challenge conventional thinking and find innovative ways to make a meaningful difference.
And somehow, our humble little donut is right up there with some of Australia’s most innovative companies!
Who Knew a Donut Could Be So Innovative?
Donuts have been around for thousands of years, dating all the way back to Roman times. So how do you reinvent something that’s been around for so long?
For us, it started with a simple question. Why shouldn’t everyone be able to enjoy the same delicious treat?
With so many people navigating food allergies, intolerances, dietary preferences and cultural or religious food requirements, we wanted to create something genuinely inclusive.
A delicious, hot, freshly cooked donut that people could share and enjoy together, regardless of their dietary needs.
As one of the OMG! Directors, David Moore, explains:
“When people think of Australia’s most innovative companies, they perhaps imagine artificial intelligence, robotics or some extraordinary technological breakthrough. They don’t necessarily think of donuts, which have been around for millennia!
“Innovation isn’t always about inventing something completely new. Sometimes it’s about looking at something we’ve all taken for granted and finding a better, more inclusive way of doing it.”
And that’s exactly what we’ve tried to do.
Making Donuts Everyone Can Enjoy – Without Compromising on Taste
Creating donuts suitable for so many different dietary requirements was one challenge. Making them taste absolutely amazing was another!
We never wanted our donuts to be something people chose simply because they were the only option available.
We wanted everyone to love them.
“We wanted to create a treat that people could share from the same platter, a donut that everyone would love, those with or without dietary restrictions, without anyone feeling they were being left out or getting the second-best option,” David said.
“And we wanted it to taste so good that people who could eat absolutely anything would choose our donuts simply because they tasted so amazing.”
Working with gluten-free and plant-based ingredients presented plenty of challenges along the way, particularly when it came to achieving the taste and texture of a traditional hot, freshly cooked donut.
But compromising on flavour was never an option.
That same determination to do things differently also led to the development of our distinctive range of bespoke sugar flavours, created using natural combinations of real fruits, vegetables and spices.
The result? Multi award-winning donuts that have helped change expectations of what an inclusive food product can be.
More Than Just Donuts – Creating Opportunities for Everyday Australians
As OMG! grew, so did our vision.
We realised that innovation didn’t have to stop with the donuts themselves.
Rather than relying solely on traditional bricks-and-mortar stores, we developed a licensed business model that would allow independent business owners to take freshly cooked OMG! donuts directly into their own communities.
From farmers’ markets and festivals to school events, sporting grounds, shopping centres and community celebrations, our independent owners have helped bring OMG! to people right across Australia, New Zealand and Singapore.
Today, 88 independent business owners operate under an OMG! licence across three countries.
“When we started OMG!, we certainly weren’t thinking about being recognised as one of Australia’s most innovative companies,” David said.
“We just wanted to make a really good donut that as many people as possible, including those with different dietary requirements, could enjoy together.
“But as the business grew, so did our thinking about what we could actually create. We realised we weren’t just building a donut company. We were building something that could give everyday people the opportunity to own their own business, create an income and change their lives.”
And remarkably, that growth has been achieved without external investment, with profits continually reinvested into product development, manufacturing, research, technology and business education.
The Moments That Matter Most
While being recognised as one of Australia’s most innovative companies is an incredible milestone, some of our proudest moments have nothing to do with awards or sales figures.
They’re the stories our customers share with us.
Stories about children enjoying their very first donut.
Families who can finally share the same treat without someone missing out.
Friends, colleagues and communities enjoying something delicious together, regardless of their dietary requirements.
“We regularly hear stories about children who have never been able to enjoy a donut before, or families where someone has always had to miss out because of an allergy or intolerance,” David said.
“Hearing stories from customers of families or groups of friends sharing the same treat, without anyone being excluded, is incredibly special.
“That extends to the office or boardroom, where adults with dietary requirements are so often relegated to the carrot sticks and hummus while everyone else enjoys morning tea.
“The inclusivity element is what inspired us in the first place, and that’s what continues to drive us.”
Because at the heart of OMG! has always been the belief that everyone deserves to be included in life’s little moments of joy.
A Big Thank You to Everyone Who Has Been Part of Our Journey
Of course, none of this would have been possible without the incredible people who have helped bring OMG! to life.
Our directors, David Moore, Andrew Clarke and Di O’Reilly our dedicated HQ team, our wonderful independent business owners, manufacturers, suppliers, researchers and, of course, our loyal customers.
“We’re a relatively small Australian company, and we’ve had to work incredibly hard to get to where we are. We’ve made mistakes, we’ve faced challenges, but we’ve never stopped trying to make things better.
“To think that something which started with 64 donuts sold at a suburban farmers’ market in Brisbane is now being recognised alongside some of Australia’s most innovative companies is pretty extraordinary.
“And I genuinely believe we’re only just getting started.”
From Little Things, Big Things Grow!
From 64 donuts at a Brisbane farmers’ market to an international network of independent businesses and recognition in one of Australia’s most prestigious innovation awards, it’s been quite a journey.
And while we’re incredibly proud of how far OMG! has come, our mission remains the same: creating delicious donuts that bring people together and making sure nobody has to miss out.
The donuts built the brand. Now the brand is building opportunities.
And we can’t wait to see what comes next!
Find our locations to get your donuts in Australia Here; in New Zealand here and in Singapore Here
Find out how to become an independent business owner in Australia here
