Customers buy out elderly shop owner's doughnuts early so he can be with ailing wife

Kindness and community spirit have taken center stage in Seal Beach, California, where locals are rallying around John Chhan, the beloved owner of Donut City. For over 30 years, Chhan has been serving fresh doughnuts as early as 4:30 a.m., becoming a cherished part of the neighborhood’s daily routine. Alongside his wife Stella, he built not just a business, but a special bond with his community, as reported by ABC7.

“It’s a lot of fun. We work together, we stay together,” Chhan shared. However, recent circumstances have brought a touching twist to his daily operations. Loyal customers, learning about Stella’s health struggles, have been buying out his doughnuts earlier and earlier each day. Their goal? To let Chhan close the shop early so he can spend more time with his wife.

This unspoken act of compassion has transformed Donut City into a symbol of community care. Customers now flock to the shop at dawn, ensuring the shelves are cleared quickly. It’s a beautiful reminder of how small, thoughtful actions can make a big difference in someone’s life, especially for those who have given so much to their community.

Life for Chhan and his wife changed in September 2018 when Stella suffered a brain aneurysm. She was swiftly taken to the hospital and was shifted to a nursing facility so she can recover. "I hurt in my heart," said the elderly doughnut shop owner, admitting that this was an extremely difficult phase in his life. "A lot of people, they come to buy a lot of doughnuts from us and gave me more time to go visit my wife," Chhan added, addressing the kindness he received from the community.

The regulars, accustomed to seeing both Chhan and Stella behind the counter, were shocked upon learning of her condition. As word-of-mouth spread the news of Chhan and his wife, customers knew exactly what they had to do in order to help the elderly couple. "The sooner we can get him home and get support for her, the better for both of them and the community," customer Charlie Dickinson said.

Chhan was left overwhelmed by the sweet gesture shown to him by the community and he appreciated their gratefulness. Every single piece of doughnut from the shelf started selling out by 10:30 a.m. and he could close the shop and rush home to be with his wife that much sooner. "It's a blessing really," an unidentified customer told CBS News. "We need more people like that to just help everybody out in whatever need they have."

In rehab, Stella began making strides, regaining the ability to speak and even write down her thoughts. Chhan also revealed that she was able to eat again and her condition was improving. Chhan even declined his customers' offer to set up a GoFundMe page to help the couple and simply wanted more time with his wife. "They’re such sweet, hard-working people," Dawn Caviola, a Donut City regular, told the Orange County Register. "I thought, if enough people would buy a dozen doughnuts every morning, he could close early and go be with his wife." Nearly a year later, thanks to unwavering community support, Stella recovered and returned to help her husband at Donut City, albeit on limited shifts.

This article originally appeared 1 year ago.