King Kruller to be sold
SHERRY STREETER / SENTINEL PHOTO - Rhonda Luettgen, proprietor of King Kruller's, stands with the store's display cases on her final day working on March 22, 2019.
By Kaylee Lindenmuth
SHENANDOAH – A landmark business in downtown Shenandoah is changing hands after nearly two and a half decades.
The King Kruller Donut Shop, which had been listed for sale since 2016, recently found a buyer, and Friday was the last day under its current ownership.
“I’m leaving after 21 years. It’s been run by my family, and all our children and my sisters, we have all worked here,” said Rhonda Luettgen, proprietor. “My parents did too, in the back baking, then about eight years ago, my father had a stroke, and he died about three years ago.”
The property has been owned by Luettgen’s parents, Emil and Dorothy Chuposka since 1997, according to the Schuylkill County Parcel Locator. Emil passed away in 2016.
“I want to spend more time with my mother, with my new grandchildren and my son and my daughter now live in the New Jersey and Philadelphia area, so I would like to move closer to them” Luettgen added.
While Luettgen notes the sale and departure from the establishment is to be closer to family, she says the shop’s customers have been like family as well.
“The customers have been here with me through good and bad,” said Luettgen. “With personal things going on, with my family, things that have happened, and with great things, they’ve always been there for me. That’s going to be really hard to walk away from. They’ve been like my family.”
“I’ve been with them every day for 21 years, and that’s a long time,” said Luettgen. “They’ve been a part of my family. They know a lot about me and I know a lot about them. They’ve been there to support me, and they’ve always come through for me.”
“They never let me down,” Luettgen added.
Luettgen also reflected on the customers who had come and gone.
“Whether they were in the military, whether they worked in the factories, whether they were just passing through, people, even now on their way to work, many of them have sat in here, and we’ve had people from different areas, and they’ve made friends and kept in touch even outside of here,” said Luettgen. “There’s so many memories.”
Luettgen specifically highlighting how the shop’s loyal customers provided support when her nephew, Aaron Kegolis, was injured in a vehicle crash in 2006, and when her father had a stroke, and passed away.
“When I needed everybody, they were here,” said Luettgen. “They were here for me. They helped me get through it. Along with my family, this is where I was every day.”
“They contributed to fundraisers,” Luettgen added. “Their kind words meant everything to me. It’s not just a coffee and donut shop, it’s a place where people come to really enjoy each other’s company, and I owe them a great deal and they will forever be in my heart.”
Luettgen added that she plans to keep in touch with most regular customers.
One highlight in the shop’s history Luettgen mentioned was a marriage ceremony.
“We had a couple get married in here. The man has since passed away, but they wanted to have their wedding in here, and Mayor Andrew Szczyglak, he performed the cermeony,” Luettgen said.
The fate of the shop is unclear at this time, Luettgen said, though she expects the new owner, who was not named, will keep the shop open.
“We came here every day, had a good time, joked with everybody, met new people, and we were basically there for everybody and each other,” said Gordon Slater, Shenandoah borough councilman and a regular customer. “We were talking about it today, we don’t know where we’re going to meet at yet. It won’t be the same [if it’s kept open.] You put in 20-some years, shooting the breeze with everybody, the atmosphere is going to be a lot different from what it was in the past.”
“Everybody is going to miss everybody, we’re going to miss Rhonda,” added Slater. “We always get along, and we always have a good time up here. It’s going to be missed.”
“I don’t know what it’s going to be,” said Albert Victor. “I’ve been working here too, for 21 years, helping [Rhonda.]”
Sherry Streeter contributed to this report
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