“At least 80 percent, maybe 85 percent,” Porada said of the percentage of Arab American customers that frequent his establishment. “Everybody loves donuts.”

He also said that during Ramadan, “When they break fast and it gets dark at night, it is jammed in here. This last time we sold out every night.”

Porada said that his father got the idea of the architecture of the building from the Howard Johnson Hotels chain. The original building is still standing, but had a new roof put on this year.

“Donutville has seen 10 presidents,” Porada told The AANews. “People yell about this president and that president; Donutville doesn’t care. Donutville cares about its donuts.”

He also said Donutville cuts through the decades like a hot knife through butter.

“It doesn’t care about politics or religion,” he said. “Although those discussions happen in here, Donutville doesn’t take a political or religious stance. It just adapts. Any demographic that your mind can dream up, Donutville has it.”

Porada, who grew up on the west side of Dearborn and graduated from Dearborn High in 1985, started working in the donut shop at 13-years-old in 1980, later taking over after his father stepped down in 2000. Al Porada, now 86, retired from the Dearborn police in 1974 after 20 years of service.

Dr. Leon Isagholian has been patronizing Donutville since 1975. He said back then there weren’t many Arab Americans customers. Most were Polish or Italian Americans, but over the last 10 years or so, Donutville has become very popular in the Arab American community.

Isagholian immigrated to Dearborn Heights from Armenia in 1955, at the age of 17. When he began to visit the donut shop he said he came to read the paper (when they would write something about him), talk politics— local and international— and general business in the community. He said judges would come in from the Dearborn District Court and that the mayor would stop in, too.

Sal Abdullah has been a customer for 15 years. He said the donuts are great and that Donutville is the best place in town.

Nasrl Hussein said he’s been coming to Donutville for more than 20 years and that he eats there about once a week. He also said he comes back for the “good quality treat.”

He said the lemon jelly filled donut is his favorite.

“This shop has become a part of our society, it’s part of Dearborn,” he said.

Porada said the busiest time of the day changes throughout the year and sometimes he can’t make enough donuts.

“It takes 10 hours to make a donut and 10 seconds to sell it,” he told The AANews.