When I heard that Countryside Donut was re-opening Friday after being closed for three weeks, I knew I had to be the first to get there. I’m not going to miss out on this popular breakfast of champions.

I woke up at 5 a.m. before the rest of the home office, quickly dressed, and swiftly (but within speed limits) drove to 21919 66th Ave. W. in Mountlake Terrace.

Upon arriving, I saw that the lights were still off. The “Closed” sign was pointing outward. And I was the only car in the lot.  “Okay,” I thought, “Don’t get upset. It’s only 5:58. Two more minutes.”

Within seconds, I heard a young fellow running toward the shop. “Customer number 2,” I thought. I was wrong. It was Alex, a shop employee, who came with keys to the door. I kept saying, “Thank you, thank you,” to him.

Greeting us were shelves of freshly-made donuts. Crullers, old-fashioneds, crobars (a croissant/donut hybrid), bacon bars, sprinkles, and the always-a-hit maple bars. I was ordering for only two people, but I went ahead and said, “Give me a dozen, please.”

All the while, a beeping sound kept interrupting.

I made small talk with Alex.

Me: Are you glad to be open again?

Alex: “Yes, it’s good.”

Me: How long have you been working here?

Alex: “Two months. I only work on weekends though.”

Silence.

Then he said, “None of the barbershops are open.”  Pssh, what are you talking about, Alex? Your  hair is shorter than mine.

Looking around, I noticed the shop was prepared for the times we live in: There was a face shield in front of the cash register.  All chairs and tables had been removed. There’s no public restroom available. Alex was wearing a mask and gloves.

Banky Ty, owner, said the shop was closed temporarily in order to ensure there’s enough personal protective equipment for the crew.

No cash is accepted, only online pay, pay-by-phone, credit card or debit card.

Countryside will be open Monday through Sundays, 6 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Before leaving, I had to ask one more question: What is that beeping from that machine all the time?

Alex: “Oh, it’s for UberEats.” Whenever it beeps, that’s an order for donuts.

By the frequency of the calls, I hope that translates into a lot of…dough…for the shop.  Sorry, I had to say it.

— Story and photos by David Carlos