Bitchin' Donuts to open second location, asks for community help

The above video shows NEWS10’s previous coverage on the fire at Bitchin’ Donuts’ building.

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — Bitchin’ Donuts is hoping to open a second location in the Capital Region, but is asking for the community’s help the do so. The plant-based donut and coffee shop, located at 193 Lark Street in Albany, was forced to shut down temporarily after a building fire on Sunday.

According to a Facebook post published by the eatery on Wednesday, Bitchin’ Donuts has been in the process of opening a new location at 2008 Central Avenue in Colonie. Original plans had the spot operating solely as a storefront, with donuts baked fresh at the Lark Street location and transported over.

Due to Sunday’s fire, which caused heavy smoke and water damage to the Lark Street store, the exact timeline of the project is now in limbo. However, owner Tania Sharlow is still hoping to trek forward.

The business said it first needs to find a new kitchen with a type-one hood and fire suppression system. The space, whether temporary or permanent, would allow Bitchin’ Donuts to begin making goods for their second location.

“We have run down a couple of leads. We’re still making some decisions and we have a lot of mitigating factors,” Sharlow said, explaining that a couple of her overnight employees walk to work, making location a central factor in their search.

Bitchin’ Donuts also requests additional monetary donations, with each dollar going toward finding and establishing their new emergency kitchen as well as supporting staff while they’re currently out of work due to the fire. Sharlow said she also plans to forgo her own weekly salary so that all funding goes toward the business.

A GoFundMe was created on Monday with a goal of $18,000. Over $13,000 had already been raised by Wednesday afternoon.

“It feels amazing to have so many people that love what we’re doing, appreciate our presence in the community and not just see us as a business but also as a real neighbor and somebody they want to make sure stays around,” Sharlow said.

Despite the circumstances, Sharlow remains optimistic for the future of the second location. With enough funds and a quickly-found kitchen, the owner hopes to open on Central Avenue within weeks.

“If I can find a place soon, maybe two weeks,” Sharlow said. “That’s what I’m hoping for, and it’s probably going to be more like three weeks to a month, but I’m going to shoot for the impossible and if we land somewhere on the other side of that, that’s totally fine.”

As for the Lark Street location, Sharlow said that they are hoping to reopen by Valentine’s Day.