Gaylord News is a reporting project of the University of Oklahoma Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication

Gaylord News

Gaylord News is a reporting project of the University of Oklahoma Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication

Gaylord News

Gaylord News is a reporting project of the University of Oklahoma Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication

Gaylord News

Local donut shop struggles due to construction

Jasi Patel prepares to serve a customer at Donut King Friday, Nov. 3. Jasi and her sister-in-law have co-owned Donut King since 1993.
Jasi Patel prepares to serve a customer at Donut King Friday, Nov. 3. Jasi and her sister-in-law have co-owned Donut King since 1993.

A local family-owned donut shop is struggling to pay the bills, with construction on Lindsey Street seeming to have no end.

Owned by Jasi Patel and her sister-in-law Dipti, Donut King has been in Norman for over 20 years, serving as one of the town’s most popular donut shops. However, recently the shop has been losing business because of construction taking place right outside their front door.

“It’s hurting so bad,” Patel said. “Business is half. It’s hard to bring the costumer back in because they choose to go somewhere else.”

Construction on Lindsey started in July of 2016 as a $28.4 million project and has seen little progress over the past year and a half. According to Patel, since the construction has started, the shop has lost nearly 50 percent of its normal customers. Donut King is in the heart of the construction, and a new median has made it impossible for customers to turn left into the shop.

“They have to go all the way to the other side,” Patel said. “They have to make a U-turn and comeback. So we’ve been losing business forever because of it.”

The Patels have asked the City of Norman how much longer the construction will last and have yet to receive an answer. For now, they are just hoping to meet the next payment.

“Right now it doesn’t look so good because of the street,” Patel said. “It’s so bad, it’s frustrating. We are trying our best.”

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