By Allison Michelli

The Richmond doughnut bakery Sugar Shack’s  new location in Alexandria will be part bakery, part speakeasy. Owner of the Northern Virginia location VA Del. Rob Krupicka (D-Alexandria, Arlington and Fairfax) explains that, “We are going to have a very intimate speakeasy next door to the donut shop. We are excited to do something unique that will be a  real kind of destination spot.” Menu items at the speakeasy will include doughnuts-inspired food and hand-crafted cocktails. Krupicka says, “Doughnuts work all day long. People have them for breakfast and people also have them as dessert.” 

 Krupicka was initially introduced to Sugar Shack, by friend Bethany Lewis last year. Krupicka says, “Bethany brought me a dozen Sugar Shack doughnuts and I thought they were amazing. I set it up so I would have Sugar Shack doughnuts delivered to my office every Monday in Richmond.” Krupicka then discovered that one of the business partners of Sugar Shack, Mike Brown was a friend of his from college. They started talking about how to bring Sugar Shack to Northern Virginia. “One thing led to another and now we are business partners,” Krupicka says. 

According to Krupicka, the bakery will feature indoor and outdoor seating and an expanded kitchen with more frying and baking capacity than the Richmond location. The new location will also offer catering for special events, creating sweet treats like stacked doughnut cakes for weddings and individually wrapped doughnuts for party favors along with customized glazes and decorations.

“We are going to stay as true to the great things about Richmond Sugar Shack as we can and we are going to try and throw in some unique NoVA and Alexandria flavor and character as well,” Krupicka says. Specialty flavors like a cherry George Washington-inspired doughnut will fill the menu alongside Sugar Shack’s  house flavors like classic glazed, cinnamon sugar and chocolate glazed. 

Krupicka has hopes to open Sugar Shack’s doors later this winter. /804 N. Henry St., Alexandria