During this summer’s New York Knicks watch parties, fans gathered in the streets were met by Roy Donk handing out free trays of Turkish pastry.
Known locally as the “Baklava Guy,” Donk has built a recognizable brand by showing up with his sweets wherever crowds gather, from midtown sidewalks to Central Park.
The business, officially named Good Baklava, began on September 1, 2021, under unlikely circumstances. Donk had dropped out of high school at 15 and struggled with drug addiction. Newly sober and having just been fired from his job for leaving to follow a Phish tour, he needed a way to fund his concert attendance. He started selling baklava out of purple boxes in the band’s parking lots.
In the spring of 2023, he brought the operation to Central Park, pulling a wagon filled with trays of pistachio baklava. Recognizing a broader market in the city, he expanded his reach. His packaging notes that the baklava is made in Gaziantep, Turkey, and his merchandise, including limited-edition pins, prominently features the slogan “No Drugs” as a nod to his sobriety.
Donk’s visibility spiked when the Knicks were performing well. A photograph of him distributing baklava at a crowded show circulated, and his habit of bringing free trays to Knicks watch parties eventually led to a feature in The New York Times. For Donk, giving away the pastry was a simple calculation: the city deserved free baklava when the team was winning.
Now operating with neon “Baklava Labs” signage and a baklava tattoo on his forearm, Donk has anchored his once-nomadic side hustle in the city. He says the operation will remain a New York company forever.