City National Bank of Florida has filed a lawsuit against The Salty Donut, alleging that the Miami-based donut company defaulted on a $4.8 million loan. The loan, issued in October 2021, was intended for the development of a store at 1658 Westheimer Road in Houston’s Montrose neighborhood, according to court documents filed in Miami-Dade County Circuit Court.
Johanna Castellon Vega, attorney for City National Bank, stated that the planned Houston store never materialized. “Our client is at their wits end with this, knowing this is an entity that has several locations, not only in Texas, but here in Florida and in other states,” Vega said.
The bank claims the loan matured in January 2025. A forbearance agreement extended the maturity date to June 27, but repayment has still not been made. The lawsuit also asserts that Salty Donut founders Andres Rodriguez and Amanda Pizarro personally guaranteed the loan. City National Bank is seeking full repayment along with interest and attorneys’ fees.
The Salty Donut did not respond to requests for comment before publication.
Rodriguez and Pizarro started The Salty Donut in 2014 from a vintage camper and opened their first permanent location two years later in Miami’s Wynwood neighborhood. As of now, the company operates 21 stores across cities including Atlanta, Austin, Charlotte, Dallas, Denver, Miami, Nashville, Orlando, Tampa and West Palm Beach. Additional outlets are planned for Atlanta, Charlotte and Washington D.C., as listed on their website.
While Houston was initially slated to have a location within city limits under this loan arrangement—and remains absent from current listings—the nearby suburb of Katy saw a Salty Donut branch open late last year at LaCenterra (23501 Cinco Ranch Boulevard), about 30 miles west of downtown Houston.
