LANSING, Mich (FOCAL POINT) – “When I pulled in at 6:30 there was a line out the door.”
It’s Fat Tuesday at Roma Bakery.
“Hello. Just a dozen for ya?”
And that means customers are here to get their paczki.
“Now do you want the chocolate whipped or the chocolate cream, sir?”
“Make four of each.”
Jeffrey Mills is stocking up for the week.
“Why don’t you throw a chocolate, chocolate in there. Make six,” customer Jeffrey Mills said.
“I got six of them. So, just something to enjoy 6 days from now. Don’t eat more than one a day,” Mills said.
Owner Mena Castriciano and her husband Sostine have been in business for 46 years.
“Well her husband does it all by himself. He does, he fries each one individual. No one else fries ‘em. He’s the only one that fries ’em.”
While customers are out front buying their Paczki, So and the other workers are in the back frying some more.
“It looks like so far that we broke the record,” owner So Castriciano said.
“Last year was 8,000 dozen,” owner Mena Castriciano.
There are so many paczki and for good reason.
“They’re the best and they’re available this time of year,” They’re thick and they’re full of stuff.”
“My favorite, I like the chocolate whipped,” Mena Castriciano said.
“My favorite’s probably the raspberry,” Mills said.
“Lemon, vanilla, chocolate and Bavarian cream,” customer Keith Traver said.
No matter what kind you get…
“Roma Bakery on Fat Tuesday is the place to be.”