Sad news for donut-teriyaki-laundromat lovers: Chea Pol and Heng Hay, owners of Rainier Valley fixture King Donuts, announced that they will be retiring this December.

Channa Hay, the couple's daughter, wrote this on King Donut's Facebook page:

The time has come for King Donuts to close down this year in December. It has been almost 30 years since my parents first opened the shop. Now it is time for them to retire. The shop is our, "American Dream," story. We have always appreciated all the love and support from the Rainier Beach community through the ups and downs. All good things come to an end and I look forward to seeing my parents retire finally. Love you guys.

In response to the news, one commenter wrote: "congratulations for 30 great years! but it will be a sad day for Rainier Beach when you close your doors for the last time. where will all of the old guys hang out now? and where will we find donuts as delicious as yours?"

Marcus Harrison Green of the South Seattle Emerald has more about the announcement:

[Channa] also shared that the Hay’s, who live in the Skyway neighborhood, originally intended to keep the announcement of their plans to sell the business relatively quiet, hoping to find a buyer for the venerable donuts shop before her parents retired.

However, the owner of the building King Donuts resides in, at 9232 Rainier Ave S, decided to move ahead with advertising it was for lease, posting a sign in front of the shop just a few days ago.

According to Channa, the building’s landlord is open to retaining the business at the shop’s current location should a new owner purchase King Donuts before her parents retire.

Green also wrote of the outpouring of community support for the Hays when Heng and Pol, refugees who once fled the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia, were assaulted and robbed in their store's parking lot. According to Stranger food editor Angela Garbes, the Hays opened their hybrid donut shop "to fill the holes left in their Rainier Beach community" when a neighboring laundromat and teriyaki joint were torn down.

The Stranger's music calendar editor, Kim Selling, is a huge fan of the Rainier bakery. Here's what she had to say:

When I first moved here, I googled “weird stuff Seattle” from the bland palate of my dorm room, and King was one of the first results at the time. I bussed down there the next day, promptly got very lost in Rainier Beach, and wandered til I found it. I immediately was treated with one of the best maple bars I’ve ever devoured, and a warm comfortable perch far, far away from other UW students. I’ve continued to trespass on Heng and Chea’s hospitality ever since, once Chea even gave me some totally unsolicited, but very entertaining advice on my dating life. Their retirement seems like a welcome gift to them, and I hope someone takes over the business and keeps the love alive, but regardless, I’m grateful I could experience the heart of King for many years.

It's always said when a family business has to close its doors, but, after all the Hays have been through, they have earned some rest. As for Channa, who has worked around the shop since she was 12, she will be heading back to school to "complete her Masters Degree in Health Administration that she stopped working towards after the attack on her parents," Green reported.

In the meantime, King Donuts will still be open daily until they close their doors in December. Be sure to pay them a visit.

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