State fair goers at S2 Concessions can participate in the “Mini Donut Pantry Bowl.” A portion of the proceeds will support the food pantry at either NC State University or UNC-Chapel Hill.
Courtesy of S2 Concessions
What if we told you that eating a bucket of mini doughnuts at the North Carolina State Fair is actually virtuous, and not gluttonous?
One vendor is making that dream a reality.
S2 Concessions — a vendor that landed on The News & Observer’s Ultimate Fair Sampler foodie tour this year — will be holding its first ever “Mini Donut Pantry Bowl” at this year’s fair. The competition will support university food pantries at NC State University and UNC-Chapel Hill.
State fair goers can choose between two types of mini doughnuts: Raleigh Reds and Chapel Hill Blues. The doughnuts come by the tray (12 doughnuts for $12) or by the bucket (30 doughnuts for $24).
S2 Concessions will donate 10% of the proceeds from every dozen doughnuts sold to the university food pantry of the patron’s choice, based on their chosen icing color: either NC State’s Feed the Pack or UNC’s Carolina Pantry Network.
The live results of the caloric competition will be displayed on a scoreboard at the fair.
Alex Moore, co-owner of S2 Concessions, says he was inspired by the two schools’ existing Pantry Bowl, a yearly November fundraising competition for their food pantries. Last year, the competition raised more than $350,000.
Moore worked with the college food pantries to develop this spin-off fundraiser, and NC State confirmed that the Mini Donut Pantry Bowl is indeed university-approved. (UNC-Chapel Hill did not respond to a request for comment about the doughnut competition.)
A 2025 study of five North Carolina colleges — including UNC-Chapel Hill — found that 30% of students report dealing with food insecurity, or limited and uncertain access to adequate amounts of nutritional food. A 2024 survey of NC State students found identical results. That 30% figure is seven percentage points higher than the national average.
“I think it’s really important work that these food pantries are doing,” Moore said, “and we’re just happy to be able to support it in this way.”
State fair goers can buy mini donuts from S2 Concessions to participate in the “Mini Donut Pantry Bowl.” A portion of the proceeds will support the food pantry at either NC State University or UNC-Chapel Hill. Courtesy of S2 Concessions
As a current MBA student at NC State, Moore has a hunch that the Raleigh Reds will win.
“With us being right here at the fair, miles away from campus, I would say we’re probably the home team favorites,” Moore said. “But people come from all over the state, and there are a lot of Tar Heel fans out there too, so it could go either way. We’re hoping that the competition aspect of it will spur people to try and have their team win.”
Here’s an insider secret: Raleigh Reds and Chapel Hill Blues are actually the same flavor. It’s just the dye that’s different.
The state fair kicks off on Oct. 15 and runs through Oct. 25. You can find S2 Concessions in Kiddieland. In addition to doughnuts, S2 is also peddling deep-fried peanut butter pickles, deep-fried Girl Scout Cookies, and deep-fried Jello.
Jane Winik Sartwell
The News & Observer
Jane Winik Sartwell covers higher education for The News & Observer.
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