PEABODY — When Ziggy’s Donuts reopened its doors Thursday morning, it marked the culmination of a tumultuous period in the lives of John and Pattie Akatyszewski, co-owners of the store.
In December 2021, John was hospitalized after contracting COVID-19. He spent the next three months away from home, requiring a ventilator and slipping into a coma for 30 days. With her husband on death’s door, Pattie was left with no choice but to close the business the couple had spent the last nine years running together.
A year later, in December 2022, the couple began the process of opening their new Bourbon Street location. If Thursday is any indication, Ziggy’s Donuts will have no trouble picking up where it left off. By 8 a.m., John was headed to Salem, where the original Ziggy’s location opened by his parents nearly 60 years ago sits, to make more donuts after two cases disappeared in just under an hour.
The Akatyszewskis said they were completely taken aback by the outpouring of support Thursday morning.
“We knew we’d be a little busy, but we never thought that early,” John said. “The people that were coming in and complimenting us, congratulating us, they keep saying how the donuts are so good and the pastries are so good. They were so excited.”
“We put it on Facebook yesterday afternoon and people were writing in, they can’t wait. They’re going to be here. I never thought this big, though,” he added.
Ziggy’s officially reopened its doors at 7 a.m., and John said a line had spilled out the door by 7:10. The business the store did was unheard of for a Thursday morning, and more akin to a holiday or weekend.
John said he teared up as the line outside grew during the course of the morning.
“It was nice to see that people care that much,” he said. “So glad to be back.”
In February 2022, when John realized his store had been shuttered, he told his wife he longed to return to the shop and have a donut, a cup of coffee, and sit at the counter with her.
“All I cared about was paying for his insurance and keeping our house,” Pattie said.
The hope for a new Ziggy’s came when John learned all his old equipment was still in storage, and vowed to Pattie that the store would reopen. At that point, he couldn’t walk or feed himself. But roughly a year later, Ziggy’s is back.
“The doctors kept telling me ‘John, you’re crazy going back,’” he said. “But … I’m a go-getter.”
Making donuts has taken up five decades of John’s life, and despite the “crazy hours,” he couldn’t imagine doing anything else. So, when he had to head to Salem to make more donuts Thursday morning, he was back in his happy place.
Selling donuts is usually up to Pattie, with John working behind the scenes. But, on Thursday, John spent the morning at the Peabody store — relishing the conversations with customers new and old who were thrilled to once again get their hands on the signature peanut-free and tree nut-free donuts.
“Today was like Christmas day,” he said. “It really was, everybody’s happy, hugging, and grateful.”
“We’re so grateful for the customers we have,” Pattie said. “Without them we would’ve lost everything.”
“I want to thank them all for what they’ve done for us through the GoFundMe, and helping us and keeping us and supporting us,” John said, his voice breaking. “The customers are more than just customers, they’re friends, they’re family.”
