Saturday, October 25, 2008

Donuts

Occasionally, rarely, on my most dreamy mornings, I get donuts at my little donut shop up the street. Always donut holes. They seem pretty innocent, as bite-sized foods usually do. (But just like other bite-sized food, I realize they're dangerous!)

My donut shop has had several different owners over the years. But all of them have been Asian, and all cute, lean women- and one man! They are surrounded by donuts every day, but they don't look like they eat them. Or even do any taste-testing while they're working!

So I'm wondering, not just, "How do these people keep from becoming doughy around all these donuts?" but also why most of the people I've ever seen that own donut stores are Asian? Does anybody have an answer?

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

This may not seem serious, but it is. My first job was at a pizza place and we cleaned with really strong cleaning fluid at the end of a day and to this day if I go into a pizza place that smells like the one I worked at I kind of don't want pizza because of that cleaning smell.

Glen said...

Well, I guess its the same reason that Asians predominate the nail industry and why Fins became carpenters and Germans became hoteliers and bankers. It's what they knew back home.

If you analyze MOST (yes, not all) of the doughnut shop owners, I THINK you'd find that they're all first generation US citizens. Few are college educated, I would THINK.

What does this mean? Well, in the case of Asians, I believe that they have a much higher street vendor way of life back home when it comes to how and where they eat and get their food. So, a local shop feels like home. Plus, so many people were involved in making food in general. Whether fried or not.

So, once they started showing up and word got back home that they could open a doughnut shop in the US; AND one of their cousins would help them out with recipes and a business plan, the rest is history.

That's my theory, at least.... ;)

Bottom line, the work kind sucks. You've got to be up at 2:30 most mornings and usually you work 6 or 7 days a week. For not much money.

So, hat's off to the lovely, little slim Asian ladies of the doughnut world. I admire you and enjoy your product! :)

kerri said...

Thank you so much for your thoughtful donut shop owner commentary! I'll buy your theory- Thanks.