The Big Buyout

[320 words] The line starts to form around 4:30 in the morning. The goal of the people in line is to buy up the stock of doughnuts at Donut City, a small, family-owned shop in Seal Beach, California. By 7:30 the doughnuts have all been purchased. The motivation of the buyouts: to allow the shop owner, John Chhan, to be able to leave work and be with his ailing wife, Stella, who recently suffered an aneurysm. The Chhans opened the shop over 30 years ago and have had a steady stream of regular and loyal customers throughout the decades. John and Stella have worked side by side the entire time. She would make the doughnuts, and he would sell them. When Stella became sick, John refused to allow his customers to set up any crowdfunding sites to help with medical expenses. That’s when the patrons came up with the buyout…