SPOKANE, Wash. – Joe Sousa and his wife would visit Donut Parade when they were first dating.
Over time, the local donut shop became a staple spot for them. They brought their visiting family members to Donut Parade and it was a frequent stop on their children’s birthdays. The couple now lives in Florida, but makes sure to stop by for a donut every time they are in town.
The couple loved the iconic Spokane staple so much they opted for donuts instead of cake at their wedding.
“Most of the people at the wedding knew about Donut Parade and how good they were, and that we loved it,” said Sousa.
Sousa and his wife had 800 donuts, including a two-foot maple bar as their cake to cut, at their wedding ceremony.
For years, their order was Donut Parade’s largest order ever. The shop even hung the Sousa’s wedding photo on their wall for years.
Their love for the local donut shop is evidently unequivocal, which is why the news of Donut Parade’s closing was undoubtedly upsetting for the couple.
“I’m just sad. I’m sad for the owners. They would always say hi to us whenever we went in,” said Sousa.
Donut Parade’s owners took to Facebook to announce they were closing its doors for good.
Since the post, several donut lovers have rallied together to create a GoFundMe site to raise money for the shop.
“It was a great place, run by great people with great donuts,” said Sousa.
So many ppl are sad to see it go. I spoke to a man who ordered 800 doughnuts from Donut Parade for his wedding instead of a cake. pic.twitter.com/sJE80R7QIq
— Lindsay Nadrich (@KREMLindsay) December 5, 2016