August 14, 2008

Shop offers more than just great doughnuts

By Cheryl McGinty Ryan
Special to the Times

Each morning at 3 a.m., Tal Ran arrives at his shop and begins preparing the batters and glazes needed for the day’s doughnuts.

Mary Tal’s radiant smile and arguably, the best doughnut holes in San Jose, keep loyal customers coming back.

Maple Leaf Donut Shop, a small independent store nestled between Blockbuster and Togo’s in the Almaden Shopping Plaza at Almaden Expressway and Camden, isn’t trendy or glamorous. But Mary Tal’s radiant smile and arguably, the best doughnut holes in San Jose, keep loyal customers coming back.

Tal and Mary left Cambodia in 1979 after the Kymer Rouge reign. Mary decided to leave after her entire family was killed. Holding a hand to her heart, she says, “They killed all of my family, including my dad. It wasn’t safe for me there and there were too many bad memories to stay.

“I still can’t talk about it because it makes me upset all day, and I can’t sleep at night.”

After their first child was born, they moved to Thailand. Three years and another child later, they immigrated to Los Angeles where Tal worked for years, many of them in donut shops, perfecting and tweaking the recipes he learned.

The Ran family moved to Northern California and along with a partner opened the shop in 1983. Mary always wanted to own a business. “My family owned a business before the war. They owned a grocery store and by age 8 I stared working with customers and loved it. I like to meet people and talk with them. It’s my job.”

As tnight turns to day, Mary serves customers donuts or fresh brewed coffee and the 8-o’clock group or the “regulars” begin to come in and take places in the booths at the back of the shop. Sitting near a wall-size painting of the Angkor Wat Temple, the groups begin their own discussions. Mike Lescroart says his group “prefers political and social discussions.” At least one member of the group comes in each day.

Martin Grace has been walking two miles each way for five years to be part of the group. “After my wife died, it was the only reason to get out of bed in the morning,” he said. “We help each other here. If someone gets in trouble, we’re there for them.”

At the Maple Leaf Donut Shop, every morning the 8-o’clock group or the “regulars” begin to come in and take places in the booths at the back of the shop.

Bruce Wilson points to a laminated photo/cartoon collection he’s made of the 30 or so regulars that is posted on a wall next to the cash register.

As the day progresses, Mary has been known to offer free unsold doughnuts to kids after school. She regularly includes extra doughnut holes with large and small orders and routinely encourages customers without correct change to round down.

As I watch, a man panics slightly because there is only one pink doughnut and his list indicates the need for two. Mary talks him through it.

Both children and adults peer through the glass case carefully selecting their favorites, white sprinkles, pink swirls, cinnamon twists or apple fritters.

Other businesses in the neighborhood have collapsed, but Maple Leaf’s owners have apparently learned the recipe for survival. Patrons get great doughnuts, a sense of belonging and an old-fashioned feeling of being appreciated as a customer. Just the right stuff to make a small business work.