Responsible for serving the egg creams and piping hot french fries 24 hours a day to the likes of Kim Kardashian and drunken college kids, Ray’s Candy Store has embedded itself as a NYC staple since it was first founded by Ray Alvarez himself in 1974.
And come January 1st, Ray will be celebrating his 90th birthday!
He has been serving behind his counter for nearly 50 years, as the spot stays open 7 days a week, 365 days a year—Ray even still works the overnight shifts!
To help support the legendary institution and celebrate Ray’s 90th birthday a GoFundMe campaign has been created “to repay Ray for all the good he’s put out in the world” and keep him in business until he decides to step down.
According to Ray’s Candy Store’s YouTube channel, the pandemic has caused food costs and energy bills to heavily increase, as observed across many NYC establishments. Yet, Ray remains to keep his prices the same. The campaign hopes to be one way to “ensure that Ray’s awning stays lit up, the soft serve machines stay humming, and the deep fried Oreos keep coming.”
Already, the campaign has received $50,000 in donations.
“To know Ray is to love him. He truly is one of the great New Yorkers. Few people in this world can say that just about all they’ve ever done in life is make other people happy. Ray can…With Ray’s 90th birthday coming up, we figured now would be the perfect opportunity to celebrate a sort of Lifetime Achievement Award for Doing Good™ and his contributions to our collective happiness,” reads the Youtube Channel.
Head over yourself for a milkshake at 113 Avenue A, any hour of the day! See more on their website here.