At the intersection of Silver Lake Boulevard and North Dillon Street, an old-school restaurant sign towers over a streetlight. The sound of skateboards echoes in the air next to Mom’s Donuts and Chinese Takeout. The shop is distinctive, with triangular edges and bright blue and pink donuts, cats and chickens painted on the walls.
The donut shop has been owned by husband and wife Henry Trang and Heidy Diep for 30 years. They are one of many Southeast Asian immigrants who have made Southern California a quintessential donut destination. In December, things changed quickly and the donut shop closed with only a small sign on the door – Trang had undergone emergency triple bypass surgery after a heart attack. He was in intensive care, which meant the donut shop had to temporarily stop daily operations.
Fans of the mom-and-pop shop quickly rallied in support. Alexis Cabrera, a regular customer at the store, organized a GoFundMe fundraiser to help the couple pay rent. Cabrera first tasted the apple pie in November 2021, when he moved to Silver Lake from Humboldt, California.
“It wasn’t just junk food. You could feel the love that Henry and Heidi had for you … like a mom making sure you were fed,” Cabrera recalled in an interview. Over the past few years, she has grown close to Zhang and Ye and has become a repeat customer.
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