East County News Service
Photos by Karen Pearlman
March 29, 2025 (Santee) – Mary Hennessy, the 90-something owner of Mary’s Donuts, grabs a sweet treat during her business’s 40th anniversary bash Saturday morning, March 29.
Hennessy, who plied the donut trade at a Winchell’s Donuts, bought the former Zona’s Donut Shop with her husband, and opened the original Mary’s Donuts and Coffee in 1984 on Mission Gorge Road in Santee. After a lease dispute with her landlord, Hennessy moved the popular donut spot just a few blocks away to a nearby strip mall along Carlton Hills Boulevard. Hennessy still oversees operations.
