MORGANTOWN — Llamas have been faithful, domesticated pack animals for millennia, capable of easily carrying 30% of their body weight across miles of unforgiving, mountainous terrain.
Llamas are social, intelligent and hardy. Their soft, lightweight wool is remarkably warm and is credited with keeping man alive in the harsh mountainous climes of Peru as far back as 6,000 years.
The least you could do is buy a little donut.
As part of its November meeting, the Morgantown Board of Zoning Appeals approved a conditional restaurant/fast food use for sugar llamas at 2916 University Avenue.
The franchise, which started in Tulsa, Ok., currently has 19 locations, primarily situated in the middle of the country.
Morgantown will join Shelton, Connecticut as the second sugar llamas east of Arkansas.
The business features mini-donuts made to order, a variety of coffee drinks and hand-scooped ice cream.
Co-owner Robin Zimmerman said this will be the first sugar llamas to open in a college town.
“We literally chose this spot because of the foot traffic. We sat there and watched, and every 18 to 20 seconds there’s somebody walking through. That’s the target we’re after,” Robin’s husband, Co-owner Laramey Zimmerman said.
The 3,907 square-foot, split level building the business will occupy sits on .18 acres between Daniel’s Men’s Store and Ogawa Japanese Restaurant.
The reconfigured and repaved parking lot will include 11 parking spaces.
“The way it is designed is they would pull in off of University Avenue, park at an angle, and when you pull out, you go out the back alley,” he said. “You never come back out onto University Avenue … We’re trying to make it safer.”
Coffee and donuts will be made on site. The ice cream will be delivered.
The menu features everything from an ice cream and bundt cake sandwich to dozens of donut combinations and a full coffee lineup.
“We even have coffee with Red Bull, if you can even imagine that,” Laramey said, adding, “The whole objective to this is you get to see your donuts being made. It’s open. You order whichever flavors. You see it being made. They put the drizzle on it, and it’s done.”
Additional information is available at sugarllamas.com.
