In an era of automated bakeries and flashy, fleeting pop-ups, stepping into Peter Pan Donut & Pastry Shop in Greenpoint feels like a glorious time machine.
Complete with an iconic S-shaped counter, checkerboard floors, vintage pricing signs, and staff donning those unmistakable retro pink-and-green uniforms, it’s a living testament to quintessential Brooklyn.
Having operated continuously since 1953, it proudly holds the title of NYC’s oldest continuously running donut shop.
“This is not done by a machine,” says Demetri Siafakas, whose family runs the beloved business. “We are hand cutting donuts. This isn’t robotic. Real people are here.”
The kitchen makes thousands of donuts fresh every single morning—mixing dough and glazes by hand, then frying them to golden perfection before they ever hit the window display.
And the donuts? Legendary.
You can’t leave without trying their best-selling Red Velvet Cake donut, the classic Honey Dip French Cruller, or the dense, perfectly sweet Sour Cream Cake donut.
Spidey-senses tingling?
If the shop looks incredibly familiar, it’s for a good reason.
Peter Pan was featured prominently in Spider-Man: No Way Home!
It’s where Zendaya’s character, MJ, worked part-time.
The shop’s aesthetic was so charming to the film’s producers that Marvel actually built an exact replica of the Greenpoint storefront on a soundstage in Atlanta just to film those scenes. (Even outside the Marvel universe, Tina Fey is a known fan of the real-life spot.)
A decades-long family legacy
The history of the current ownership dates back to when Demetri’s father, Christos, immigrated from Greece in 1970. He met Demetri’s mother, Donna, in 1977, and by the 1980s, the couple had taken over the shop.
They intentionally preserved the original 1953 name and built a culture entirely centered on quality and neighborhood connection.
Siafakas describes the shop as an inclusive melting pot where anyone is welcome—from longtime locals reading Polish newspapers to new neighborhood transplants.
That sense of community translates into fierce customer loyalty, with regulars often becoming personal friends of the staff.
One local resident, standing in the shop during our visit, mentioned she has been a customer for roughly 40 years.
“My children came here,” she says, noting that the shop has always stayed exactly the same and remains “the best” in the area.
The true secret ingredient: the staff
This consistency is largely driven by the fiercely dedicated, long-tenured kitchen staff working behind the scenes.
Demetri emphasizes that the people preparing the food are what truly makes the business function day in and day out.
Many of the bakers have spent a massive portion of their careers at the shop.
Carlos has been working in the kitchen for over 12 years, while another baker, Ramiro, has been there for nearly as long. Other staff members have been part of the team for more than two decades.
“We have people here who work very hard,” Siafakas says. “We have people who really care about what they do. This place is a real family.”
📍 Location: 727 Manhattan Ave, Greenpoint, Brooklyn
🍩 Must-Try: Red Velvet Cake Donut, Honey Dip French Cruller, or a classic Bacon, Egg, and Cheese
