Happy Days Donuts: Croydon Main Street diner to close end of August 2022

A popular doughnut diner in Melbourne’s outer east is closing, with its owner blaming Covid and the cost of living.

Happy Days Donuts owner Marcus Sampson is closing his doughnut diner in Croydon Main Street at the end of August 2022. File picture.

The happy days are coming to an end for one of Croydon Main Street’s most popular eateries, with its founder saying Covid is providing too many challenges for traders on the strip.

Happy Days Donuts, famed for its sweet treats, shakes, hotdogs and other old-school favourites, will close on August 19 after just under four years of trading.

It launched in late 2018 to huge fanfare as owner Marcus Sampson and co-founder Michael Rowe capitalised on the booming doughnut shop trend, dishing them up inside a vintage 1950s styled American diner.

Michael Rowe and Marcus Sampson at the launch of Happy Days Donuts in Croydon in late 2018. Picture: Andy Brownbill

Mr Sampson has been trying for about two months to sell the business and all of its items, posting several ads on the shop’s Facebook page and in community groups.

But with no genuine buyers, he’s instead closing the shop for good when its lease expires next month.

“There’s multiple factors involved … Covid, the cost of living, and a lot of my staff have finished up in the last few months because they knew I was selling, so it’s been stressful,” Mr Sampson said.

“There’s too many things crushing small businesses everywhere at the moment … no one can quite put a handle on it,” he said.

Mr Sampson said he feared there would be “more pain and pity” on Croydon Main St in the coming months, saying at least two eateries were facing an uphill battle to stay open.

“It’s pretty tricky on Main St at the moment, it hasn’t rebounded as much people were possibly hoping for after Covid, a lot of businesses are struggling,” he said.

“There’s still a concern out there in society, people are still getting quite sick, and that cascades down.

“There’s a strange sorrow that lingers around now in the community, a little bit of hope is lost.

Mr Sampson has made all the items and furniture inside the shop available for individual sale including benches, stools, fridges, coffee machines, its jukebox and wall items.

He said he would be downsizing to open a small coffee shop inside a hairdresser on Dorset Rd after Happy Days closes.

Happy Days’ impending departure is another blow for Croydon Main St which has seen a number of businesses including a party supplies shop and the popular Mr T’s Burgers and Fried Chicken close this year.

Mr T’s owner Dean Travers pulled the pin at the start of May, crediting a lack of consistent foot traffic in the area after pandemic restrictions lifted for his decision.

His shop has been replaced by another burger joint, The Famished Wolf, which is set to open on Hewish Rd this week.