Rob Krupicka to Open Sugar Shack Donut Shop in Alexandria

Alexandria politico Rob Krupicka doesn’t just make new laws, soon he’ll be in the donut-making business. Krupicka plans to open a Sugar Shack donut shop in Alexandria’s Parker Gray neighborhood later this year, according to a news release.

Sugar Shack submitted special use permits Friday to the City of Alexandria for what is reportedly the city’s only hand-crafted donut shop. Located at 804 N. Henry S. in Alexandria, Sugar Shack will join Lost Dog Café as tenants in the retail portion of the Belle Pre Apartment building.

Sugar Shack is currently operating two stores in the City of Richmond. The hand-crafted donut flavors run the gamut, from Maple Bacon to Caramel Apple Cake.

The flagship shop opened in 2013 to great fanfare, and a second location was opened earlier this year to accommodate the high demand for what have been named by USA Today to be one of the “10 tastiest donuts in the USA.”

“Like everyone in Richmond, I quickly fell in love with the sometimes unusual, but always delicious, donuts from Sugar Shack. I couldn’t believe that we didn’t have something like this in Alexandria so I set about figuring out how to fix that,” said Krupicka.

Ian Kelley, owner of the original Richmond shops, credits the dedicated people and collaborative culture with the success of Sugar Shack. “From the folks behind the counter who assist the long lines of customers to the crew that starts making the first donuts of the day at 4 a.m., we have a great team that makes this operation work,” he said in the news release. “The last year and a half has been fantastic, and I can’t wait to see that success continue in Northern Virginia.”

While the menu and design of the Alexandria Sugar Shack will largely reflect the aesthetic of the original Richmond location, there will be elements of the new site that make it uniquely Alexandria.

“From the dough to the display case, each one of our donuts will be crafted by hand,” Krupicka said. “The menu will be flexible, the coffee will be fresh—our espresso machine is currently somewhere in Italy. The bottom line is that we intend to sell a quality product in a setting that people will enjoy. This is a business about making people happy.”

“From the first time I walked into the shop in Richmond and witnessed the diversity of the customers who came through the door and the smiles on their faces I envisioned a shop in Alexandria,” he said. “Donuts aren’t political; they’re something that people from all partisan circles, all cultures, all tax brackets and all backgrounds enjoy. Parker Gray is a perfect fit for Sugar Shack. It incorporates all the wonderfully unique pieces that make this city great. We are looking forward to incorporating a number of unique to Alexandria features into the store.”

The permit submitted Friday to the city includes a “speakeasy” style bar adjacent to the donut shop, but aside from its existence, details are not currently being released.

Hungry Northern Virginians who want to follow the progress of the shop’s construction and stay up-to-date on the latest news will find regular reports at @NOVADonuts.

PHOTO: The Sugar Shack will open in Alexandria later this year; photo courtesy of The Sugar Shack Richmond location, via Facebook