Midtown Mobile residents craving a fresh doughnut no longer have to drive across town. Sugar Rush Donut Co. has opened its third location at 2033-A Airport Boulevard, directly across from Mellow Mushroom and next door to Infinity Bicycles, filling what regulars had jokingly called a doughnut void in the heart of the city.
The bakery’s roots trace back to Bayou La Batre, where owner Marcellus Bosarge opened the original Sugar Rush in 2011. A second location followed in July 2013 in the shopping center near Airport and University boulevards, and the Bayou La Batre shop itself later moved into a larger space on North Wintzell Avenue over the summer.
The new Midtown shop opened on a Sunday morning at 7 a.m., and Bosarge said the debut exceeded expectations. “Sunday was great,” he said of the opening. Sugar Rush typically closes on Mondays, but by Tuesday the shop was back open early with a full glass case of doughnuts spanning cream-filled, lemon-filled, and strawberry-filled varieties, along with red velvet cake doughnuts, ones topped with crushed peanut butter cups, and even a bacon-sprinkled option. A dozen doughnuts runs $9.99.
“The doughnuts are baked fresh every day,” Bosarge said, adding that it would likely take about a month of trial and error to nail down which flavors Midtown customers wanted most.
Regular hours are set at 6:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, though Bosarge has shown some flexibility already. On the shop’s second day open, he announced on social media that he would stay open until 4 p.m. to gauge interest from the after-school crowd.
Bosarge said he eventually plans to expand the Midtown menu to match offerings at the original Bayou La Batre store, including frozen coffee drinks and made-to-order sandwiches. He specifically mentioned plans for a roast beef po-boy, a fan favorite. “People are begging for the roast beef po-boy like we do in Bayou La Batre,” he said.
The new location includes enough seating for several tables and a bar area with stools, along with two entrances — one facing Airport Boulevard and another at the rear, opening into Korbet’s Square. For a stretch of Midtown that had lacked a dedicated doughnut shop, Sugar Rush’s arrival gives neighborhood residents a new stop for breakfast, an after-school snack, or the promised return of a Bayou La Batre classic.