For the last two weeks, customers have been lining up at the crack of dawn to purchase doughnuts from a small, family-run bakery in Seal Beach, California. While locals say Donut City’s baked goods are delicious, there’s a far sweeter reason for the early-morning crowds gathering at the doors.

The outside of the Donut City bakery in Seal Beach, California. (Google Earth)

John Chhan and his wife Stella, who run the business, are popular among the community for their happy and humble personalities, and the Cambodian couple’s cheery faces have been greeting customers in-store for nearly 30 years.

John Chhan speaks to Abc13 about the community support he has received in the last month. (Abc13)

So when locals noticed Stella, 63, was absent from the shop, Mr Chhan told them the sad news she had suffered a brain aneurysm on September 22 and was rushed to hospital. Stella remains in recovery and John admits it’s been extremely difficult for him.

“I hurt in my heart," he told Abc13 of his other half.

"We work together, we stay together," Chhan said.

So, locals decided to set their alarms a little earlier and rush to the store of a morning to buy up as many doughnuts as possible so that John can shut up shop early and spend the rest of the day with his wife.

The idea started with regular customer Dawn Caviola who reached out to the neighbourhood via social media. Soon enough, everyone was on board.

“I thought, if enough people would buy a dozen doughnuts every morning, he could close early and go be with his wife,” Caviola told the Washington Post.

Now, come 6am, there’s lines out the door so that, before lunch time, John can flip his ‘Closed’ sign and spend the rest of the day by Stella’s side.

Of a morning, the cue spills out of the shop's front door. (Google Earth)

Other community members volunteered to start a GoFundMe page to raise money for the Chhans, however John declined the offer.

One customer, Jenee Rogers, who runs a local surfing school, told the Washington Post the club buys doughnuts for her local church service every Sunday.

“Every day I’ve been down there the line has been to the door,” she said, adding that the Chhans are “humble, smiling people.”

"The sooner we can get him home and get support for her, (the) better for both of them and the community," another customer Charlie Dickinson told Abc13.

As a result of community members rushing to purchase dozens of doughnuts at a time, Chhann is able to shut the store early and spend the rest of the day with his sick wife. (Google Earth)

One morning, the trays were cleaned out by 8am.

“I so appreciate it,” Chhan told the Washington Post. “I just can’t say enough thank you and thank you.”