Updated: Due to the weekend baking schedule, Monday's donut giveaway will start at 9 a.m. instead of 8 a.m. as originally announced.

Portland donut shop sensation Blue Star Donuts will make its Abbot Kinney debut next week and is celebrating with a pre-opening donut giveaway on Monday, October 19, from 9 a.m. until the last blueberry bourbon basil or piña colada pastry is claimed. The shop officially opens on Wednesday the 21st.

Known for its fancy brioche-style dough, premium ingredients, and an 18-hour process to produce the decadent "donuts for grown-ups" in inventive flavor combinations like hard apple cider fritters and O.G. "orxata" glaze, Blue Star plans to up the ante with a fresh batch of flavors to mark its L.A. debut. For starters, there's that piña colada, a pineapple, coconut, rum and mint-flavored cake donut topped with shredded coconut, as well as a brunch-inspired Greek yogurt honey granola, topped with housemade granola. Down the line, expect additional LA-specific specialties like strawberry shortcake, grenache ganache (a nod to California's wine country), and mimosa, made with a sparkling wine-infused, orange-scented glaze.

"We've been so grateful for the reception we've received in Portland, and are thrilled to start this new chapter for Blue Star in Los Angeles – particularly in a community like Abbot Kinney," says Katie Poppe, who founded Blue Star Donuts with partner Micah Camden in 2012. There are four Portland shops and one in Tokyo. "The neighborhood is so vibrant and alive with culture, and we’re looking forward to meeting and serving the people that make this enclave of LA so special." 

Taking over the former Elvino space on Abbot Kinney, the 1,000 square-foot shop features a bright and modern aesthetic—white tile, blonde wood paneling, and a full-length glass counter allowing guests a front row view of the freshly-fried donuts getting on their glaze. 

The donut shop will also offer Stumptown Roasters coffee and cold brew. Starting Wednesday, the to-go only operation will be open daily from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., or until they sell out of donuts.

In the coming weeks, Abbot Kinney will also receive another Portland favorite Salt & Straw, a gourmet, small-batch ice creamery, likewise known for its creative and seasonally-driven flavor combinations, at the corner of California Ave. 

Blue Star Donuts, 1142 Abbot Kinney Blvd., Venice 90291

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