It’s hard to miss the brightly colored stall off the main entrance to the market, shelling out delicious mini-sized doughnuts at a crazy affordable price point. Founder Todd Jones (i.e. Cuzin Todd) is a baker/entrepreneur and Cuzin’s Duzin is the brainchild of years of doughnut experience, 39 to be exact. “If you cut me,” says Jones, ”glaze will come out of my skin.”
After 25 years as a baker at Dunkin’ Donuts in Roslyn, Long Island, Todd was given two weeks notice. Fortunately for us, he had a plan. Having purchased a copy of Entrepreneur Magazine, opening to the first page, he was somewhat shocked to see an ad for a doughnut machine. “I took that as a sign,” Jones says, “and bought one two weeks later.”
With no hesitation, Cuzin Todd had a business up and running within eight months. Cuzin’s Duzin began at the Coliseum Mall in Jamaica, and subsequently moved to Albee Square Mall. After the demise of Albee, setting up shop at Dekalb Market was a natural fit. “I love the vibe at Dekalb Market and the diverse set of customers, says Jones, “the market draws the crowd and as a businessperson, it’s my job to do the rest.”
Drawing in customers shouldn’t be a problem when the doughnuts are as good as these. Light, fluffy, freshly made and still warm, they’re shaken with your choice of powdered sugar, cinnamon or chocolate in the bag that’s handed to you. You can get 21 doughnuts for a measly Lincoln, 7 for a couple a Washington’s. While similar in size, referring to these mini confections as munchkins would be a disservice to their quality and the craftsmanship and love with which they’re made. But are they healthy? Well, as Todd likes to put it, “mini is the new skinny.” So go grab a few, or even a duzin.
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