Randy's Donuts, a sweet icon of LA, makes big debut in NYC

"GREENWICH VILLAGE, Manhattan -- With its iconic giant donut perched on the roof of its tiny 1950s drive-up building, Randy's Donuts is one of the most cinematic stops in Southern California, blending the whimsy of must-photograph roadside Americana with the wonders of must-sample roadside eats. Randy's is so associated with Los Angeles that, for many visitors, the donut shop is their first stop after landing at nearby Los Angeles International Airport. (Or perhaps Randy's is dessert after the obligatory visit to In-N-Out Burger.)"

"Now Randy's is on cross-country roll, and the Big Donut has arrived in the Big Apple. On Dec. 9, Randy's Donuts first welcomed eager customers at its outpost in Greenwich Village. "When people fly into LA, they go to Randy's, they'd see the donut, and they have that nostalgic feeling," said Scott Hartner, the franchise owner of the Randy's Donuts in NYC. "I want the same nostalgia for the people of New York.""

"With its Gotham debut, Randy's has roamed far from Inglewood, California, where it opened in 1953 as the second location of the Big Do-Nut chain. That brand is long gone but several locations carry on under new names, preserving their giant donuts, with Randy's by far the most famous, perhaps a happy accident of its prominent location by the airport. Visitors to the location stand in line (or wait in the drive-thru lane) while others mill about snapping selfies with the celebrated donut."

Randy's Donuts features a giant rooftop donut atop a 1950s drive-up building and is a cinematic Southern California landmark. The shop is closely associated with Los Angeles and often serves as a first stop for visitors arriving at LAX. Randy's opened an outpost in Greenwich Village on Dec. 9 at 185 Bleecker St., marking its first franchise in the Northeast. Franchise owner Scott Hartner says the shop aims to recreate the same nostalgic feeling for New Yorkers. The original location opened in Inglewood in 1953, adopted the Randy's name in the 1970s, and began expansion after 2015 under owner Mark Kelegian.

Read at ABC7 Los Angeles