It’s fun to go back in time for wonton soup and doughnuts

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NIAGARA FALLS – Who says you can’t go back in time?

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You certainly can at Country Fresh Donuts. And you don’t need to be Marty McFly of Back to the Future or have an HG Welles time machine. You just need to get to the corner of Victoria Ave. and Jepson St. in Niagara Falls.

When you need to disappear, unplug, reminisce and enjoy some comfort food, this is the place. Wonton soup, doughnuts, coffee and The Toronto Sun. It doesn’t get any more perfect. Or Canadian. 

It’s a throwback to a non-corporate, slower Canada, where there were no smartphones, e-commerce, social media or debit card machines. At Country Fresh Donuts, they don’t have any of that fancy technology.

There’s no Wi-Fi here. But they do have copies of Sun on the counter. They operate in cash. 

And everything is made fresh and served with a smile. 

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“We love our customers,” said John Tu from behind the counter. 

And their customers love them back. There are a lot of them.

Even in the rain last week, there were people lined up outside the front door. Many were there for the famous wonton soup.

Whether they stay and hang out or take it to go, the affordable staple is popular among the locals and tourists alike. Ironically, even though it’s like stepping back in time to the 1960s, 70s, 80s or 90s, modern technology ensures people around the world can now discover this Canadian gem. 

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“Instagram, X, Facebook, Yelp and others have brought people here from all over the place,” said John. 

It may not be five-star restaurant in a traditional sense, but it is a five-star place in terms of legend.

The stars are actually those who work there, the characters who hang out there and, of course, the soup. 

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While the wonton soup is most requested, they also have popular hot-and-sour, Asian noodle and  Canadian beef and barley varieties available. All of them would make the cast of Seinfeld blush.

But unlike the legendary Big Apple Soup Nazi in that show, there is nothing but love and laughter in this real life haunt. 

The only thing in common is the high-quality soup and the number of people lining up to get some. This isn’t new.

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The eatery has been serving local delicacies since two couples — John and Mary and Tom and Loc — opened the place in 1991. They also have amazing, old-school doughnuts there. And top-quality sandwiches, coffee and, of course, friendly service. 

“Every time I go there, if they see me in line, they get my coffee ready the way I like it, my chocolate eclair and newspaper,” said Golden Horseshoe musician and journalist Tony G. “It’s like family.” 

They used to be open 24 hours, have closed at 11 p.m. in the post-pandemic era. But it’s still a family place and there’s no vice president in an out-of-country office in charge. 

“I think people like coming here because they see it’s us who are making the food and serving the food,” said John, who works 13 hours a day and enjoys every minute of it. 

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He says he’s living the Canadian dream, but I also think he and his peers provide a reminder of what that dream is. As a Vietnamese refugee to Canada of Chinese descent, he said there is not a day that goes by that he doesn’t appreciate the life he’s had here. And his regulars appreciate him and his team. 

“I started as a waiter in Fort Erie,” he said. “We all worked in restaurants.” 

The two couples saved their tips and pennies and moved to this old doughnut shop, added the soup to the mix, and the rest is history.  They don’t complain. They just work. 

At a time when there is so much of old Canada being boarded up or disappearing, I thought it would be nice to write about some places that are still flourishing. Whether it’s The Tulip, Bigliardi’s Steakhouse, Kit Kat, Jersey Giant, Ed’s Warehouse or Mars, I actually hate writing about iconic eateries closing their doors.

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This rare mom-and-pop shop reminds us how we miss those kinds of places. Canada needs more independent, small businesses that people support, and governments need to get out of their way so main streets can become local jewels — locations where people’s greatness can come out.

At a time when big corporate, big public sector and bigger government rules the times, this is an example of what is disappearing in Canada as overburdened small business die each week. 

If you want to have unique characteristics, and characters, in your town or city, you have to consider those who are not in a union, political party or come from means. You need unique individuals with talent and a tremendous work ethic. 

Don’t pick on them, overtax them, over-regulate them and make it hard for them. Let them survive. Let them prosper. Let them grow. 

Sometimes in order to obtain bright future, one must look at the past. A trip to Country Fresh Donuts offers a view of both.

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