Donut chain with 100+ stores expands to Idaho, opens in Meridian. (With masks, please)
Meridian has a sweet new breakfast option.
Duck Donuts, a chain with more than 100 franchise locations in 27 states, will make its Idaho debut this weekend. The store will open at 8 a.m. Saturday, April 24, in the former Which Wich sandwich shop space at 2126 N. Eagle Road at The Village at Meridian.
Named after Duck, North Carolina (where one of the first locations opened in 2007), Duck Donuts specializes in fried cake donuts — “warm, delicious, made-to-order ... in a bright, family-friendly environment.” Duck’s menu also features breakfast sandwiches, sundaes, frozen drinks and milkshakes, plus signature coffee blends.
The 1,500-square-foot Meridian restaurant has indoor and outdoor seating, including a sizable patio.
The first guest in line Saturday will get a free Duck Donuts gift basket. But that doesn’t mean Idahoans should stampede the store. A maximum of 10 customers will be allowed inside at once, a spokesperson said, and employees and customers will be required to wear a mask indoors.
“Duck Donuts and this store’s owners are committed to customer and employee safety as Idaho recovers from COVID-19,” according to a press release. “... High-touch surfaces will be frequently sanitized and the store will remain in compliance with all state and federal guidelines. Customers will be asked to maintain a six-foot distance from each other.”
Duck Donuts is known for a custom ordering process that lets you create your own masterpiece from a tempting arsenal of “coatings, toppings and drizzles.” You start with a fresh vanilla cake donut that was made right in front of you. You coat that with glaze, maple, lemon, chocolate, blueberry, vanilla, strawberry, peanut butter — or powdered or cinnamon sugar. (Or just leave it bare.) Then you hit it with rainbow or chocolate sprinkles, shredded coconut, Oreo cookie pieces, graham cracker crumbs — or chopped peanuts or bacon (more bacon, please!) Lastly, you drizzle it with hot fudge, raspberry, salted caramel or marshmallow.
Too many decisions? Duck also sells fixed “fan favorites.” Popular choices include the ridiculous Bacon in the Sun (maple icing, chopped bacon, salted caramel drizzle), the Sunrise (lemon icing, raspberry drizzle) and the Chocolate Explosion (chocolate icing, Oreo crumbles, hot fudge drizzle).
The Meridian shop will be open seven days a week. Hours: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday. (Note: Opening weekend hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.)