In front of what used to be Peking Chinese Restaurant in Kenai on Wednesday, Mayor Brian Gabriel holds a large pair of scissors. As he cuts the ribbon during the ceremony, a line of excited confectionary food-lovers wraps around the building. They’re waiting to snag a free donut at Kenai’s newest business.
The Gutierez family has dreamed of opening The Glaze donut shop for nearly five years. But, the pandemic, a house fire and supply chain issues delayed its grand opening until this week.
“It’s been a dream that we’ve had, and we’ve been talking about since 2020,” said Abi Gutierez, one of the owners of The Glaze. She also runs the shop’s social media accounts and website.
“We actually started buying equipment at the end of 2021, and we just had setback after setback. Things just started lining up for us this spring,” Gutierez said.
In March, the family purchased the storefront. Around the same time, final shipments of the store’s equipment arrived in Alaska after being purchased from Texas more than two years ago.
Although the restaurant is still under construction, Gutierez says it’s open and ready to serve the peninsula.
“We love family and we love community," she said. "We have six kids, so family is really important to us. We want to draw people in from our community and just be family with people.”
In addition to traditional chocolate and sprinkle donuts, The Glaze sells cinnamon sugar donuts, lemon filled donuts, bavarian cream donuts and other donut types made fresh daily. They also sell bear claws, fritters and donut holes. You can purchase items individually, by the dozen or half dozen.
The family has seen other local businesses in the area come and go over the years. But, they say they’re planning to stick around. Gutierez says in a small town like Kenai, local businesses are the backbone of the economy.
“I think it’s important because a lot of businesses, especially restaurants, have been struggling with the high food costs in the area," she said. "It’s important to support our local businesses, and with donuts, it’s not as expensive to make.”
The Glaze plans to add a cafe to complement its sweet treats. The family also hopes to expand the restaurant’s physical location and serve a full-menu breakfast all day.
Gutierez says the shop is just as much about being part of the community as it is about selling donuts.
“When people come in, and whenever they grab their donuts and leave, I want them to, if they’re taking them home, just be able to have memories with their family and friends eating them," Gutierez said. "It just be something treasured about their life, like a core memory kind of thing.”
The Glaze is open Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 11 a.m. and Sunday from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. The restaurant will adjust these hours once construction is completed.
