Doughnut Plant Suspends Operations Until ‘At Least August’ Due to Pandemic Pressures
It’s not looking good for Doughnut Plant.
The Lower East Side original is amidst a “temporary closure,” which doesn’t typically bode well in the food industry, especially during a pandemic.
The writing may be on the wall based on the doughnut empire’s latest Instagram post: “We are making the difficult but necessary decision today: Our shops will be closed starting tomorrow, Wednesday 7/22, through at least August, to allow us to better understand what is needed to operate in the midst of this pandemic.”
Meanwhile, their website reads,”It’s time for a pause. Our NYC shops are closed. We’ll be back soon!”
Despite operating on temporary hours for pickup and delivery at their four brick and mortar locations across the city, rent isn’t cheap, and pastry can be a tricky sell during lockdown. End of an era?
Doughnut Plant is a Lower East Side success story. Owner Mark Israel founded the company in his Essex Street apartment in 1994. He started by selling his treats to Dean & Deluca and Balducci’s. The neighborhood store at 379 Grand Street followed in 2000; a decade later it annexed the space next door.
In the intervening years, the bakery expanded to include, at one point, six total city locales.
Recent Stories
See the Subways with the MTA’s Live Subway Map
It’s been a long time coming, but the MTA map is finally going digital. Now officially in beta, the MTA’s “Live Subway Map” is a dynamic interface showing real time train locations, arrival times, and service alerts, among other pertinent info for New York denizens. And it arrives at a time when subway ridership numbers […]
When a Rat Skeleton Falls through Your Ceiling
This is not a Halloween story, but may as well be. As reported yesterday, deaf and hearing-impaired tenants living at 174 Forsyth Street are demanding remedy for deplorable living conditions. Those affected allege years of neglect that led to extreme disrepair and lack of security, and are holding a press conference this morning to train […]
Woman Punches Uber Driver in the Face on Ludlow Street
A woman jumped into an Uber on Ludlow Street and assaulted the driver, police said. On Sunday night, approximately 10:00pm, the woman entered the cab outside 121 Ludlow Street, unwarranted, and allegedly punched the driver in the face. He sustained a fat lip, and is otherwise okay. It’s unclear what prompted the belligerence. However, the […]
Economy Candy and the Pandemic Halloween
With Halloween just a few days hence, we checked in with local love Economy Candy, to see how owners Skye and Mitchell Cohen are managing the pandemic during a peak holiday for the Lower East Side confectioners. As you can imagine, Halloween has always been a big deal in the Economy Candy family. “Growing up, […]
Deaf Tenants Allege Years of Neglect and Poor Living Conditions on Forsyth Street
Deaf tenants in HUD housing on the Lower East Side are organizing to demand better living conditions after years of purported neglect. The buildings comprising 174-184 Forsyth Street were constructed in March 1994 specifically for low-income deaf and hearing-impaired tenants. New York Society for the Deaf owns the six-story, half-block complex, which was financed by […]
