Donut Palace

I went to The Donut Palace close to the university for our listening post. It is owned and operated by what seemed to be a Cambodian family composed of a father, mother, and daughter. The first thing I noticed when walking up to the counter to pick a donut was the Budda statue surrounded by fake floral arrangements and bananas that were nearing their expiration date. The variety of people that walked into the donut palace was enormous. Everyone from soccer moms to business men to hard laborers came to enjoy the tasty treat. Speaking of tasty treats, the signs on the walls looked as if they were bought on ebay from the 1970s. The color was faded and they lacked any kind of modernism. One of them claimed the dnouts as "a delicious decision" to start your morning. Can't disagree there...the donuts were quite tasty. Along with the wide donut and kolache selection came a diverse drink selection as well. I opted for a bottled water but sodas, milk, tea and energy drinks of every flavor were offered in their coca cola fridgerator. I also noticed the many signs encouraging smoothie sales, however no one walked out with a smoothie while I was taking notes. I think it is a tactic to try to stay "modern" since donuts do not really receive a high rating on our diet list.

Only one person not counting myself acually sat in the palace to eat their sweet pastries. Everyone else was on the go, but friendlier than most "fast-food" places. One man carried a conversation with the limited English the Cambodian mother new from the time he walked in until she gave him his change for his kolaches and he was heading out the door.

The trash can that many people use to discard their receipts right before walking out of the door proudly states " The Donut Palace - The customer is still king." If it brings a smile to my face, I think it's worth mentioning. I could incorporate the Donut Palace in a story about small local businesses and their advertising tactics, or how international business owners succeed, or something to do with a leading story in Cambodia and how these nationals feel about it. The Donut Palace is a small, quaint donut/kolache shop with more character than one would think!