As Stan’s Donuts and Coffee continues to expand and add locations in Chicago, fans have become accustomed to the chain’s opening ritual, in which one of the first 100 people in line at a new location wins free donuts for life. To celebrate the debut of its new Magnificent Mile flagship store (181 N Michigan Ave), Stan’s is hosting a grand opening celebration that’s a bit more indulgent than usual.
The new Stan’s Donuts and Coffee store opens on December 23, but the opening celebration won’t take place until December 30 (because of a little holiday called Christmas). The first 100 guests in line when the store opens at 6am on Saturday, December 30 will receive a free boxed donut—99 of those boxes will contain glazed donuts and other prizes, but one of them will hold a donut covered in edible gold leaf. The person who ends up with the gaudy pastry will also receive free Stan’s Donuts for life.
Even if you’re not planning on waiting in line for a chance to win the grand prize, the latest Stan’s Donuts store is worth visiting, especially if you’re a cold brew fanatic. The store has 10 tap lines, offering cold brews from Big Shoulders, Intelligentsia, Dark Matter, La Colombe, Metric, Stumptown, Ipsento and a couple of Rishi teas. With seating for 50 guests, there’s plenty of room for guests to enjoy their donuts (or gelato) and gaze up at the ceramic donut installation that hangs above the shop.
Take a look at some renderings of the latest Stan’s Donuts and Coffee location below and prepare to add it to your morning coffee rotation when it opens on December 23.
Illustration: Courtesy Stan's Donuts and Coffee
Illustration: Courtesy Stan's Donuts and Coffee