Tuesday, January 12, 2010

How Delightful!!!

Who woulda thunk? The city of Rochester is excited about the reopening of a favorite doughnut shop. When Crispy Creme moved in, along with Dunkin Donuts and Tim Horton's, Donuts Delight closed their doors. Today the Rochester icon reopened with some help from a friend. I can't wait to go back to the little place where my daddy used to buy donuts when I was a little girl. I wonder if those powdered jelly donuts taste as good as I remember?

(from the local newspaper...)

The doors didn't open until 6 a.m., but the line of Donuts Delite fans started at 4:30 a.m. today.

"I grew up coming here and couldn't wait until it reopened," said Kathy Tanchick, 61, of Henrietta. "This place is full of good memories. My dad used to bring me here for doughnuts and chocolate milk."

Donuts Delite opened in 1958 at its Culver Road and Empire Boulevard location, but closed in 2005 due to declining business. The building was almost torn down, but residents fought to keep it up.

Sam Fantauzzo, owner of Salvatore's Pizza, bought the building and restored it to as close to what it was when it opened, including tin ceilings and retro tables. The shop now is half Salvatore's Pizza and half Donuts Delite.

"I have seen customers today who have been coming here for 50 years," said Mike Mailey, whose grandfather started the business. "Sam deserves a lot of credit. He saved an era, a tradition. Rochester owes him a lot credit for that."

Mailey, who worked at Donuts Delite for 31 years and is the new manager, said workers made more than twice as many donuts Monday night as on a normal day, 350-400 dozen.

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