San Jose institution Lou's Living Donut Museum is closing at the end of this month, due to an illness in the family of the owners, the Chaviras.

The eponymous Lou of the donut shop opened the store in 1955 and sold to the Chavira family in 1981, and the store/museum's current location is on Delmas and W. San Carlos in downtown San Jose. The Chaviras open the store at dawn and close when the last donut is sold (around 1:30-2:30 pm). You can watch Ralph Chavira making the donuts, and each donut comes out with its hole still attached on one side.

People love 'em -- in fact, they're the San Jose CHP's Official Donut Shop, and you those guys are selective!

If you're going to visit 'em for the first time before they close down, take note that the "museum" part of the shop isn't a museum about donuts, it's a museum about Lou's service in World War II, and other veterans' memorabilia. Bloggers and others reviewing the place all seem a little disappointed if they don't know that in advance.

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