THERE was a whole lot of love for donuts, with families queuing up before 7am as a new store opened in central Albury.
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Daniel's Donuts began trading on Saturday June 29 from a former bank on the south-west corner of the intersection of Kiewa and Dean streets.
Area manager Ash Bratby said interest in the latest outlet for the chain, which originated in Melbourne in 2016, was stunning.
"It was amazing we had a line down the street when we opened," Ms Bratby said on Saturday.
"We put up signs last night saying that for the first 50 customers there would be free merch' and was a big response.
"We got here at 5.30am and there was one family waiting and we told them we're not opening until 7am and they said 'that's fine, we're happy to wait, it's a fun thing to do as a family'."
By 11am there was still a strong stream of customers flowing through the entrance.
Among them were Albury father Ben Keith and his daughter Addison, 7, who was being taken for a treat after her Wombats hockey team lost 4-2, despite her scoring a goal.
"We had to try it out, we heard the hype," Mr Keith said.
Among their selection of six donuts was one decorated with the Carlton football club logo, their AFL team, and another with Collingwood insignia for a relative.
Ms Bratby said around 20 people had been employed at the store which will initially open from 7am to 9pm, seven days a week, to determine patronage levels.
Coffee will be a lure for early morning custom, with meat pies another menu choice besides donuts.
It is the third new Daniel's store to open in the past three months, with Ms Bratby having the role of overseeing fresh operations.
The donuts are made at a central factory in Melbourne and will arrive around 4am each day.
Ms Bratby said with Albury being the first store in NSW, it could be the start of a greater expansion north of the Murray River.
