Iconic Fresno donut shop struggling to reopen for 6 months. Customers are worried
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Car hit pole Aug. 23, knocked out power; shop has been closed six months.
- PG&E, city permit approvals contribute to lengthy closure
- Closed in 2023 for hood/ventilation repairs; reopening uncertain pending permits.
What’s happening with Christy’s Donuts?
The iconic donut shop also serving Chinese food and hamburgers on Belmont Avenue and Fresno Street has been closed for six months.
But it’s not closed for good.
On Aug. 23, shortly before midnight, a car hit a power pole at the intersection and knocked out power to the building, Fresno Police confirmed.
The business owners have been trying to get power restored and the business reopen ever since, said Eang Leng, who works at the shop and is the daughter of the Christy’s Donuts owners.
“It’s just frustrating because it’s taking so long,” she said. “We’re just worried. There’s no income coming in. We’re struggling. We’re worried. We’re frustrated. We’re ready to just go back to work.”
The power pole is on Christy’s Donuts property, meaning the family and its contractor had to get permits to install a new pole from the City of Fresno and PG&E — a process that can be slow, Leng said.
The project also involves moving the pole away from the street. They must saw through the sidewalk and install new conduit and wire, according to the permit filed with the city.
Leng said they got the necessary approval from PG&E and are working through the permit process with the city.
The plans were approved by the city, which is waiting on a signed affidavit and final payment to issue the permit, according to city spokesperson Sontaya Rose.
Christy’s has been operating for more than 30 years. In a former Mel’s Drive-In from the 1960s, its unique round shape and tall, colorful sign often catch people’s attention.
The business was featured in The Bee’s story about 10 classically Fresno restaurants on Belmont Avenue last summer.
Customers have been wondering on Reddit.com and Facebook group For the Love of Downtown about the fate of the restaurant.
“I’m pretty sure we have people wondering what happened,” Leng said. “We don’t know what else to do but wait. I don’t know why it takes so long to approve everything.”
It’s not the first time Christy’s has been shut down in recent years. In 2023, fire safety officials deemed it unsafe to occupy after a county inspector found the ventilation hood in the kitchen was not working. Grease was discovered accumulating in the building’s attic near the water heater and leaking into light fixtures.
A new hood had to be installed, which needed a permit, a process that also took a long time, Leng said.
“For customers, if they’re wondering, we will be opening soon, we just don’t know when,” she said. “Hopefully by next month, sounds like, but I’m not sure.”
