ICYMI: Duck Donuts Opens Doors in Alexandria

ALEXANDRIA, VA -- Duck Donuts, a franchise offering fresh made-to-order donuts, opened a new location in at Bradlee Shopping Center, 3610 King St. in Alexandria Thursday, March 30.

On opening day, the store hours were 4 p.m.-7 p.m. Regular hours are Monday to Friday, 6 a.m.-7 p.m. and weekends 6 a.m.-6 p.m.

This marks the 37th location Duck donuts has opened and the 15th in Virginia. Other Northern Virginia locations include Arlington, Bristow, Fairfax, Herndon, Stafford and Woodbridge.

At Duck Donuts, employees prepare the batter, fry the donuts and add toppings all in-store. "Nothing is like coming in and getting a donut made the way you want it, right there fresh in front of you. You can see the process and know exactly how it's made," said Travis Gafford, a regional manager overseeing the new location.

Gafford said customers at other locations have inquired about opening an Alexandria store. Duck Donuts jumped on the opportunity when a spot opened up in the shopping center. "It's near a school. We've got a very busy shopping center right here. There's lots of parking," he said.

Based on other locations, customers should expect the store to get busy during certain hours of the day. On weekdays, stores are busy as people travel to and from work. Fridays and Saturdays are steady throughout the day, and Sundays are busy after church services.

The location has drawn interest from T.C. Williams High School closeby on Braddock Road. When manager Kuda Gwanzura delivered donuts to the high school, they placed follow-up orders and expressed interest in the new location.

The store currently has 20 employees (10 full-time and 10 part-time), and is looking to hire more. Interested applicants can apply online. Full-time employees can receive benefits after working for six months.

Gwanzura has worked at Duck Donuts since October 2015. His regional IT manager position allowed him to gain experience while working on a Master's in cybersecurity at University of Maryland. "I got the opportunity to work with the IT systems while I was still in college," he said.

The new location will allow Duck Donuts to collaborate with local charities. Duck Donuts runs a philanthropy program called Quack Gives Back, where stores can cause money for a different cause each month.

Customers with inquires can email the store at catering.nova@duckdonuts.com or call 571-297-2298.

Photos by Patch