Neighborhood Favorite Alpha Donuts Closing After Almost Half a Century in Business

A small one-story shop sits on a street in Sunnyside, Queens, connected to two other small buildings. The shop has a bright yellow sign with the words "ALPHA DONUTS" written on it in red.

The Alpha Donuts storefront.

By Carmo Moniz | news@queensledger.com

As a child, Jennifer Dembek, a Sunnyside resident of 48 years, would sometimes be greeted with donuts from her grandmother after school. The donuts came from Alpha Donuts, a community staple where Dembek said she could always find a good meal, a friendly face and great service. Dembek is one of many Sunnyside residents with fond memories of the shop, which is closing its doors after 48 years of serving the neighborhood.

“I grew up with this place which was great, it’s a staple in the neighborhood that we’re losing,” Dembek said. “I’m sad to hear that it’s closing.”

The beloved donut spot, which has been gutted of its insides and now sits empty on 45-16 Queens Blvd., is closing due to financial difficulties caused by inflation and the COVID-19 pandemic, according to owner Patty Zorbas. Zorbas, who left the shop on Friday, has been running the business for the past 30 years.

“I gave so much of myself to this place,” Zorbas said. “It was a pleasure, all these years, it meant so much to me.”

Throughout its nearly 50 years in business, Alpha Donuts remained a family operation, according to Zorbas. She said that before she took over the shop, her sister-in-law had been in charge of the business, and before that her husband, who has since passed, was running it.

“This was my baby,” Zorbas said. “I have so many beautiful memories, it breaks my heart that I have to go.”

Yesnia Rumaldo, a friend of Zorbas’ who works in a nearby jewelry shop, said that she has gone to Alpha Donuts every morning for the past 24 years and is saddened to see it close. 

“This is the only place that you could come, where you find somebody friendly, always with a smile on their face, doesn’t matter what,” Rumaldo said. “They were always ready for everybody. It doesn’t matter if you’ve got money or if you don’t have money.”

Alpha Donuts is not the only small business in Sunnyside to have been hit hard by the pandemic. Three years ago, KMIA Salon, once located in the building to the right of Alpha Donuts, also closed due to financial struggles brought on by COVID-19. 

Food service and retail establishments were more affected by COVID-19 compared to other businesses, remaining below pre-pandemic levels even when many industries were beginning to bounce back, according to a report released by the New York City Comptroller last year. 

Anne Smyth, who has lived in Sunnyside for 35 years and was a frequent customer of the donut shop, said that she has noticed businesses closing more frequently in the neighborhood. 

“I’ve been here 35 years and it was the freshest coffee, food — everything,” Smyth said. “The whole neighborhood is so nice and Sunnyside has gone down so much. They’re taking away everything, rent is far too high, they’re bringing everything down. It’s not fair.”

Smyth added that Alpha Donuts was a common gathering spot for older Sunnyside residents, and said she is concerned about where they will go now that the shop is closed.

“They go in there, they have a cup of coffee, their cup of tea, they can sit there, they can have a toast or whatever they want,” Smyth said. “It’s gone, there’s nowhere else to go for them. It’s absolutely dreadful.”

Remaining Outdoor Dining Sheds ‘Eyesore’ to Some Residents

By Iryna Shkurhan | ishkurhan@queensledger.com

What started off as a lifeline for restaurants during the pandemic is now becoming a nuisance for residents and businesses alike. 

Under the Open Restaurants program, 12,000 outdoor dining permits were issued by the NYC Department of Transportation (DOT) which allowed restaurants to construct and place structures on the streets, given they follow some guidelines.  

Even the simple sheds, generally constructed with plywood and nails, cost several thousand dollars and required even more in maintenance costs, according to restaurant owners that spoke with the Queens Ledger. The more extravagant structures, built with sturdy materials and decorated to the nines could climb over tens of thousands of dollars. 

Some community members complain that sheds are falling apart after not being utilized or maintained, creating eyesores for the neighborhood. But the steep cost involved in maintaining these structures, combined with overall rising costs of food and other necessities, is posing a challenge for businesses. 

The DOT says that “The City is committed to retaining the temporary program until the permanent program is in place,” according to their website that was updated in March. No further timeline on a permanent open restaurants plan that is currently “in development” has been unveiled. 

“Some of the sheds that are out there now are ugly and just an eyesore,” said Theodore Renz, a Queens Community Board 5 member. “I hope that the criteria that they come up with is something that is aesthetically pleasing to the community, and at the same time is cost effective for the restaurant.” 

Some restaurants said that given the opportunity, they will keep their dining sheds up permanently. Especially for businesses with limited indoor space, an outdoor area can be crucial for servicing more customers and providing them with other options. 

“It really, really, really helped our business. I don’t know if we could have survived without it,” said Jackie Gorzelnik, the owner of Plein Air cafe in Ridgewood on the impact of outdoor dining when her business opened during the pandemic.

“It’s not fancy. It’s very utility. And to maintain it, it’s just like a coat of paint here and there,” said Gorzelnik, who reported that the outdoor structure cost a couple thousand dollars to build, and another couple thousand for a rebuild. 

While she says that issues such as graffiti and rodents entering the space occasionally arise, the benefits of having more space outweigh the negatives. 

The owners of While in Kathmandu, a Nepali restaurant in Ridgewood, dealt with the same issues when they had their shed up. They also struggled to deal with noncustomers who would congregate in the shed and utilize free electricity. Loiterers did not leave the space better than they found it. 

Bikash Kharel, the manager and co-owner, says they took down their outdoor dining hut on the sidewalk two months ago because they felt it was no longer necessary, especially since they have a backyard. But they said that the removal process was just as difficult, and costly, as the installation. 

“I did start noticing that it was falling apart in some ways because it was not utilized every single day. It was not taken care of in the best possible way,” said Kharel.

During a DOT inspection, the department inquired about whether the structure was still being utilized and offered to remove it within a week if it wasn’t being used anymore. After Kharel agreed, his team began to dismantle the shed and removed the roof and lights in preparation. But four weeks later, the DOT still had not arrived to complete the removal. 

“I finally got to speak with somebody and they told me that we are on the line to be processed for it but it’s not going to be anytime soon. Maybe two or three months,” recalled Kharel. “So that left us in a limbo. Do we wait for the city to come to do it or do we experience a hazardous situation where something might happen.”

With the aesthetic of the restaurant in mind and a half broken shed out front, they decided to proceed and dispose of the entire structure themselves. With the cost of labor and rental equipment combined, the total price of removal exceeded a thousand dollars. 

“But this is all about the socio-economics of the restaurant,” said Kharel. “The more upscale places have been able to maintain really nice beautiful looking locations versus restaurants that are not in the same demographic. They’re making that kind of money to spend that kind of money.”

One Ridgewood business owner with an outdoor structure, who wants to retain anonymity, says that their neighbor’s hut is an eyesore for the block. They complained that a lack of maintenance and adherence to code is spilling over into their hut, that is meticulously maintained and invested in. 

They also complained that the neighboring business owners do not discourage non paying  individuals from using the space to sit and smoke, which is not allowed under DOT guidelines. 

“By participating in the program, you are taking responsibility for maintaining the cleanliness of the roadway curb space in front of your business,” reads the DOT guidelines. “Smoking and electronic cigarette use is not allowed in outdoor dining areas.”

According to the DOT, inspectors will make both proactive and complaint-driven visits to restaurants part of the program. Typically they do not require interaction with the business owner. 

“I would say it is a responsibility of the business owner to maintain the structures and make them clean and rodent proof,” said Gorzelnik. “That’s our responsibility. That’s not on the city.”

Without significant snowfall this past winter, many sheds remained outside for longer than ever. The wear and tear is showing on many, especially when graffiti is also present. 

 

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