Small businesses are closing all over Arizona this summer, and most owners never say a word.
Daniel Tes said something – and it changed everything.
What he posted online at his lowest moment packed his shop the next day in a way he never saw coming.
A Decade of Early Mornings, One Week of Despair
Tes opened The Local Donut in Scottsdale, Arizona, ten years ago.
His crew rolls in around 11 at night.
They hand-cut, hand-fry, and build every donut from scratch before most of Scottsdale wakes up.
"Early is an understatement. We start at 11, 12 at night,” one worker said.
Ten years of that.
Then this summer hit.
"We felt the pressure after spring training to get things ready for summer, and we just couldn't catch up," Tes told FOX 10 Phoenix. "A lot of small businesses deal with it – but this year was different."
His worst week in ten years left him staring at a payroll he couldn't cover.
https://twitter.com/FOX10Phoenix/status/2083379709425877391?s=20
His employees – the ones who show up before midnight, who roll dough while Scottsdale sleeps – were depending on him.
He Humbled Himself and Asked for Help
Tes didn't quietly close.
He didn't pretend everything was fine.
"I kind of had to humble myself and ask for help from the community, ask for help from God," he said.
The next morning, The Local Donut was packed.
Not just customers who saw the post – other local business owners came in and prepaid for strangers' orders, a pay-it-forward chain that turned a desperate plea into a community celebration.
"There's a lot of selfless people out there, a lot of generous people," Tes said.
"They've got a lot of great options as well as super friendly people," said Harris Dozier, a regular customer. "It's a great time to come in here real quick for a donut."
This Is What Real Community Looks Like
The media loves to tell you that Americans are divided – that nobody trusts anybody anymore, that small towns and small businesses are dying and nobody cares.
Scottsdale just proved them wrong.
Nobody sent a government check.
Nobody convened a task force.
One man told the truth about how hard things were, and his neighbors showed up.
That's not a small thing.
Most business owners would rather shut the doors than admit they're struggling – the courage it takes to say "I need help" is something most people never find.
Tes found it.
And the community answered with the kind of generosity that doesn't make the evening news because it doesn't fit the "America is broken" narrative the media prefers.
https://twitter.com/TheErikHoffmann/status/2084639526354383256?s=20
It happens every day in towns and cities across this country – quietly, without cameras, because decent people don't need an audience to do the right thing.
He said he loves the creativity of owning a donut shop.
"The people, the creativity," Tes said. "Creating donuts and coming up with different flavors fulfills that creative spark."
Tes says he's ready to keep serving doughnuts and his community for years to come.
"People are there to help out," he said, "and I definitely want to pay it forward as well."
Ten years of midnight shifts, one honest post, and a community that showed up – that's the real America.
Sources:
- Khloe Quill, "Small business owner couldn't make payroll, asked God for help, and his place was packed the next day," Fox News, August 4, 2026.
- Annlisa Pardo, "Locals try to save Scottsdale's 'The Local Donut,'" FOX 10 Phoenix, August 1, 2026.