It's something Ted feels a bit bad about. The entire family Christy and the three kids worked alongside him. Ted kept a low profile until the LA filmmaker Alice Gu got in touch a couple of years ago. The whole community banded together and they all agreed to sell him out of donuts every morning by 9 a.m. Your tax-deductible financial support keeps our stories free to read, instead of hidden behind paywalls. He also apologised to many of those he hurt. In 1993 Ted and Christy moved back to Cambodia. This is my own speculation, but it seemed like he had come to some peace with his dad and childhood. Support our coverage by becoming a digital subscriber. L.A. became the country's epicenter of donut culture when Ted Ngoy, a Cambodian immigrant, arrived in California during the 1970s. I'm no good. For the next 45 days, he lived in her room. Besides, he reasoned, as a politician he would not be able to gamble. To Christy, this was the final betrayal. And that's what he did. [1], That's why I want to tell the world, "Do not gamble." Doughnut revenue put their children through college. The families who followed Ngoys lead learned to run businesses and picked up English. Since many of them had gotten their start in the business and the United States thanks to Ngoy, they were happy to help. I think thats the American way the power of connections and people. Naturally he agreed, and set his sisters up with doughnut shops. 50? He shaved his head and spent three months barefoot in Thailand, coming back emaciated and a changed man - or so he thought. Get the day's top news with our Today's Headlines newsletter, sent every weekday morning. Ted and Christy are divorced. "He was a little uneasy," Gu says. He wanted to be with her, but he had no one else to manage the shop. The donut business isnt easy. Boozy Dole Whips. Ngoy bought stores in Fullerton, Anaheim, Anaheim Hills and Buena Park over the next year. People love her and shes beautiful. In most of America there's an average of about one doughnut shop for every 30,000 people - in LA, there's one for every 7,000 people. Hes really funny. "[10], Whittaker said that "as Asian Americans face increasing racism, its closing message about how immigrant communitiesdefine America has only become more timely."[8]. [9], Ngoy is the subject of the 2020 documentary film The Donut King. He had gotten his first taste of that passion years earlier. When he was working in the donut shop, he went to his sponsor and said he was having a hard time. A woman from his church lets him sleep in the screened porch outside her mobile home, which he has fashioned into a makeshift bedroom. He bought a bigger doughnut shop, and offered to lease the original Christy's to a family of Cambodian refugees, who had been working in fast food outlets on low wages. They had a vacation home in Big Bear and a time share in Acapulco. Then he opened his first independent shop in La Habra, eventually covering the rest of O.C. By 1985, 10 years after arriving in the US as refugees, Ted and Christy were millionaires, owning around 60 doughnut shops. I dont think you dare come to my room, she responded. That phrase Donut King is already so eye-catching right off the bat. NICK STREET Channy is a stocky man in his mid-forties, and he runs USA Donut in Boeung Keng Kang with his wife. Ted and Suganthini sold everything they had and arrived in California on one of the first refugee flights, with their three children, an adopted nephew and two nieces. ", Alice Gu's documentary, The Donut King, is available in the US now in theatres and online and will be coming to the UK in 2021, Listen to Ted Ngoy on Outlook: How the Donut King lost his crown (produced by Maryam Maruf), Ted Ngoy's autobiography is called The Donut King: the rags to riches story of a poor immigrant that changed the world. And he has a new goal. I gave her my spiel, and she said, 'Well, you've called the right person. In the early 1970s, Cambodia was in the midst of a brutal civil war that displaced two million people, more than a quarter of the country's population. I dont know who I am right now, he said. Theres so much competition. It was on the market. It really helped put some perspective on the journey to get here from somewhere else and the struggles that people go through when they arrive in a new, strange and foreign land. No political life, no religious life, just work, work, he said. Gambling is a devil. By 2005, after a failed political career in Cambodia, Ngoy was penniless and living on the porch of a fellow Parkcrest Christian Church parishioner's mobile home. Suganthini was terrified, but she let the stranger stay. He and his family barely escaped and were among. Ngoy built a vast donut shop empire across California and it started in 1970s Orange County. At the height of his success in the US he had been an ardent Republican, and an enthusiastic fundraiser for the party. Because of the Ngoys, a Cambodian refugees first American job was often in a doughnut shop. Each morning, he walked with the monks, begging for food from peasants, crying as the rocky roads tore at his bare feet. He ran to the shop across the street where he bought a donut. The ubiquity and low overhead of these Cambodian mom-and-pop donut shops helped drive Dunkin' Donuts out of California in the late '90s. Why would anybody be interested in my story?' How to get the best eggs in town without leaving your yard. "They're a good company and I owe them gratitude," Ted says. But then one of Suganthini's servants appeared at his door with a reply. Ted now sees that the same character traits that made him take bold risks in life also made it easy for him to fall prey to gambling. You will end up destroying the whole family and no more relationship with the world, just finished. The film flashes back to the horror of life in 1970s Cambodia, a tragic offshoot of the Vietnam war that eliminated thousands of lives. While Ted was immersed in Cambodian politics, Christy flew to the US for the birth of a grandchild. People made fun of his accent. Then he flew to a monastery in the Thai countryside. Everybody cry, he said. "Cambodian people owe them a lot.". To make sure he went through with it, they insisted on hiding behind a curtain while he said his spiel. His family didn't want to see him, and nobody offered him work, not even baking doughnuts. I cant take credit for it, but I do feel like in the making of this film and having some of these people face feelings that they hadnt confronted in many years, it was very healing. Theres also the moment where Ted revisits his former home in Mission Viejo. To think about what Ted did years ago letting bygones be bygones. An immigrant story with a (glazed) twist, The Donut King follows the journey of Cambodian refugee Ted Ngoy, who arrived in California in the 1970s and, through a mixture of diligence and. Suganthini smuggled him food at night, and after many days she said she loved him too. It actually made national, if not international, news about the kindness of these people in Orange County. This is going to happen.'". I go to borrow. Theyre savvy, young, hip. [8], After a particularly devastating gambling loss in 1990, Ngoy flew to Washington, D.C. and joined a Buddhist monastery where he spent a month meditating. The family were among the many tens of thousands of . The other discovery for me was what I called Donut Generation 2.0, the kids who go to take over the parents mom and pop shops. He believed he could show others the path to wealth and opportunity. (Courtesy of Greenwich Entertainment). And she said she knew a lot of people in her parents generation who are lifelong Republicans and thats why they hate the Democratic party. Not many professional gamblers are bipolar women, but Cat Hulbert was one of the best - and she delighted in winning money from men. In 1985, Ngoy and his wife became American citizens assuming the American names of Ted and Christy, respectively, and were enjoying a lavish lifestyle including a million dollar home at Lake Mission Viejo, a vacation home in Big Bear, expensive cars, and vacations to Europe. He began to disappear off to Las Vegas for days, losing $5,000, $7,000 a game, and neglecting his family and his doughnut empire. Hes also a sign of Mexicos healthcare crisis, Black residents of Jackson, Miss., blast plans by white-dominated Legislature for more state control, Spain approves menstrual leave, teen abortion and trans laws. Devastated that he had broken their pact, she filed for divorce. In return, he played their tables and lost thousands of dollars. Eventually he and Christy were left with just one doughnut shop, which they decided to sell. The stranger who crept into her room more than 35 years ago is a stranger again. [10] Ngoy was hesitant to return to California for the film; he was estranged from his children and former friends. "New documentary 'The Donut King' follows Cambodian refugee Ted Ngoy's journey to multi-million dollar empire", "Review: A Shakespearean SoCal tragedy, 'The Donut King' charts the rise and fall of Ted Ngoy", "Director Alice Gu Wants You to Meet The Donut King", "The Donut King who went full circle - from rags to riches, twice", "Review: The Donut King, a sweet documentary that doesn't tell the hole truth", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Donut_King&oldid=1131760803, This page was last edited on 5 January 2023, at 16:51. By 1976, Ted had saved up enough money to buy his own shop, which he named Christy's. Ted Ngoy was born in Sisophon, Cambodia. Baby Yoda cocktails. One night under a full moon, they knelt and prayed. It was hurtful. According to Tao, the servants caught on to Ted's presence after a few days but didn't say anything. When you hook up with gambling, your life's finished. There were some hurt relationships. Also Jerry Brown, who weve seen in California as our beacon of hope and morality, in 1975 was actually the opposite. He joined Gamblers Anonymous but was back at the tables in no time. These are kids who are American educated. "He was afraid of being shunned and feeling lonely - but I forced him!" You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. His party did poorly in the 1993 and 1998 parliamentary elections, but Prime Minister Hun Sen made him an advisor on commerce and agriculture. He trained them and handed over the keys. "After cry, go back gambling," he told one interviewer. All three were taken to the police station but they were too scared to mention the cash in the boot. "[1] In 1977, the Ngoys took a trip to Las Vegas where Ted saw Elvis Presley. He dissolved his party and accused the government of corruption. Tell us about your wife. It was small amounts first but he was soon blowing bigger figures and he couldn't seem to stop. Ted Ngoy, his wife and family pick up the story and walk us through their unbelievable experience, flying to a . Eventually, her parents discovered Ngoy and threw him out. Ted was the consummate schmoozer and salesman. COVID origins? They took American names. "[1] He says his Christian faith ultimately helped him abandon the habit. The Ngoys helped hundreds of refugees find housing and apply for Social Security cards. And of the 5,000 independent doughnut shops in California today, around 80% are still Cambodian, she says. The Donut King was directed by Alice Gu, and is her first feature film. The Donut King comes out Friday, Oct. 30, online, and when you The family members worked 17 hours a day and saved for a year. But I still win. "Many times I try to commit suicide because I hate myself. After cry, go back gambling." Cambodia was poor and under-developed after years of war. The couple and their three toddlers arrived penniless at Camp Pendleton, part of the first wave of Cambodian refugees. In this condensed and edited conversation, Gu talks about the American dream, Cambodian American Republicans, 1970s Orange County and the best donut she ate during filming. After a year of running two shops they had saved $40,000 and Ted decided to expand. He remarried and had four more children - the youngest two are still at school. It's a monster in me.". Ted liked Cadillacs; Christy preferred Mercedes-Benz convertibles. He wrapped the note around a stone, and threw it down. At the peak of his success, Ted owned something like 65 donut stores many of them named Christy's and was bringing in about $100,000 per month. While working a second job at a gas station, Ngoy took notice of a busy local doughnut shop and inquired of its operators about learning the business. All night long Ted would watch people buying coffee and doughnuts, and he realised it was a good business. Until then, she was kept sheltered. Before sunrise, they would climb back into her room. "Ted, again, is Mr. Nine Lives. Channy also wholesales doughnuts to other minimarts. He has converted to Christianity, he said, and prays often, asking God for help. Ted was a poor boy from a poor family while Christy was the daughter of a high-ranking official. At 35, Ngoy had already climbed out of poverty and into privilege once. Chet and Savy, Ted Ngoys oldest children, sit down for an interview in The Donut King.. Ted became deeply religious. Gab Chabrn reflects on growing up in L.A. in a Latino home that doesn't celebrate Thanksgiving and the traditions they formed instead. According to Gu, Christy's family brought her into the room and Ted started reciting his speech. This documentary tells Ted Ngoy's story that is one of fate, love, survival, hard knocks, and redemption. A new documentary chronicles the fascinating saga of Ted Ngoy, "The Donut King," who made a fortune and then lost it all to a gambling addiction. The doughnut king landed at LAX with $50 in his pocket. [1], In 2013, he was living in Phnom Penh working in real estate. and California landscape with a familiar coat yellow strip mall signs with red lettering reading Christys Donuts. Through the maneuvering of his brother-in-law, chief of police and briefly future president of Cambodia, Sak Sutsakhan, Ngoy was promoted to the rank of major and appointed military attache at Cambodia's embassy in Thailand. He enjoyed meeting the younger generation of doughnut makers, who are innovating and inventing new flavours. Aside from what After setting up a sweet shop of his own, he helped fellow . LAist is part of Southern California Public Radio, a member-supported public media network. "[8] Giving it three-out-of-four stars, Nick Allen of RogerEbert.com called the The Donut King "a heartwarming albeit scattered documentary from director Alice Gu," and praised the film for "its balance of poppy visuals and detailed history. Driving back with $85,000 cash in the boot of the car, they were stopped by the police; they had fallen behind with payments, so the car showed up as stolen. He left behind his new wife and their two children, and what he had seen as his last chance at redemption. When he lost their money he would just sign over the shop to them - without telling Christy, whose signature he forged. Over the years, he says he sponsored more than 100 Cambodian families that wanted to come to the U.S. Once, I said I would die if something happened to him, Christy said of her ex-husband. Few foods are as universally adored as fried dough. Chuong Lee Tao passed down DKs Donuts in Santa Monica to her daughter Mayly Tao, who updated the shop with a vast menu and a worldwide social media following. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Key grant funding to help O.C. "I came back to L.A. and I didn't know that I was going to create this crazy explosion in the business. Theres this portion in the film that goes into Ted and his ex-wife Christys experiences in Orange County during the 70s. I never will be able to pay back. Ted remembers hiding from her behind the slot machines. He cut his chest sliding under barbed wire. Instead, she told him about a training programme run by the doughnut chain, Winchell's. Never surrender. Ngoy would make a habit of returning monthly to watch performers such as Tom Jones, Diana Ross, and Wayne Newton and indulging in the incentives pit bosses of major casinos offered all the while spending even larger sums at the card tables. Their youngest son Chris drove them there to pick up the money - but it went horribly wrong. Mag's Donuts . Designers Andrew Hem and Charlie Le were awarded a SWSW Film special jury recognition for their poster design of The Donut King in 2020. Two days after Gu's out-of-the-blue call to DK's Donuts, she was talking to Ngoy in Cambodia. He subsists on small handouts from friends. Alice found it hard to persuade Ted to return to California for filming. Ngoy managed to escape just as Phnom Penh was falling and brought his wife, Suganthini, and their three children to America in the mid-1970s. Ngoy tried Gamblers Anonymous. That same year, President Gerald Ford signed the Indochina Migration and Refugee Assistance Act, allowing 130,000 people from Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia to come to the U.S. California's Governor at the time, Jerry Brown, opposed the move, saying, in a clip that's featured in The Donut King, "When we have a million people out of work, when we have our own people taxed to the hilt, I'm just very slow to just open the floodgates and say come on in unless we provide a way to put Americans to work.". For weeks, they watched other families leave, until finally they, too, were sponsored by a pastor from a church in Tustin, Orange County, about 35 miles south of Los Angeles. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Daily Pilot. While he was recovering in hospital, Suganthini also made an attempt on her life. The rise & fall of The Donut King. He became Ted. 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