It’s the end of an era for Donut Wheel on Campbell Avenue and Irvington Road. The sweet shop that has been serving its tasty doughnuts for nearly 35 years is permanently closing its doors on Friday, October 28.
It wasn’t ideal but the owners, Sam and Sandra Phetdara, had been on a month-to-month lease with the property management company since 2007, so the possibility of them needing to move out of the building had been on their minds for quite some time.
The reason for the closure: the land was sold to an unknown national chain.
“My dad came to America as an immigrant from Laos and this was his American dream,” said Melinda Phetdara, daughter of Sam and Sandra. “We would love to find a new location because we have so many loyal customers but, unfortunately, my Dad is 63 now, and making doughnuts is a very labor-intensive job. He feels like he’s too old to start over and wants to retire.”
From now until they close its doors one last time, Donut Wheel at 4801 S. Campbell Ave. will be open daily from 6 a.m. – 8 p.m.
“We would like to thank all of our customers for enjoying our doughnuts and all their support throughout the years— especially during COVID when we only had our drive-thru open,” said Melinda Phetdara. “People that came here were not only our customers but our friends. We appreciate all the great memories and we will miss them dearly.”
Many people here in Tucson are familiar with the Donut Wheel shops in town, which are all locally owned and operated, but each one is independently owned by different families. However, folks had their favorite spot to visit from time to time and the shop just south of I-10 will be missed dearly.
“People loved our doughnuts so much they have taken them back home to the Midwest, East Coast, Northwest, Mexico, Colombia, Guatemala, China, Laos, and Vietnam,” said Melinda Phetdara. “On Friday, October 28, we will have a grand send-off and customer appreciation party.”
Donut Wheel is located at 4801 S. Campbell Ave. For more information and to keep up with the latest, follow Donut Wheel (Campbell location) on Facebook.
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Article written by:
Matt Sterner
More about MattAt a very young age, Matt Sterner was gifted with the artistic ability to masterfully roll a burrito to the highest of standards, but the wrapped medley of delicious innards wasn’t his first love. Matt’s first true love was a combination of reading, writing, and creating. He grew up reading comics, the ingredients list of his shampoo and conditioner bottles, choose-your-own-adventure books, and the Scrabble dictionary — something he found useful when challenging his grandmother to a game.
He attended college at New Mexico State University and graduated with a degree in Digital Filmmaking. One of his favorite classes was screenwriting because he became responsible for the story’s birth before it came to life on-screen. After school, Matt took on numerous positions at a local television station in Tucson. From dealing out stories about heartbreak to producing “fluffier” content for a lifestyle broadcast, he learned what it takes to adapt to the many emotions the world of media can stir. Since 2017, Matt has dabbled in the culinary world of Tucson as well as San Diego, California from time to time.
If you’re in the mood for strange stories, head over to his pride and joy, wonkytimes.com. And in case you’re curious — yes, after all of this time, he still manages to roll a killer burrito.
