Rocket Donuts kicks off reopening with eating contest

Rocket Donuts kicked off the grand reopening of its downtown shop by giving some customers a chance to tackle its Monster Donut.

The business held a doughnut-eating contest on Friday, Jan. 15, as a way to celebrate the recent completion of its remodel. Four contestants stepped up to see who could eat a 1-pound, 2-ounce doughnut the fastest.

The winner was Lenin Mendoza of Bellingham, who took just over six minutes to complete the challenge. It also happened to be Mendoza’s birthday, and he walked way with a Rocket Donut T-shirt and some gift certificates.

The shop also had raffles and giveaways during the event.

Much of the remodeling work took place behind the counter, including moving ventilation systems and other heavy equipment to create a better flow and make it easier to expand production capabilities, said Kim Mindnich of Rocket Donuts. The remodel also expanded the seating area.

Dave Gallagher

This story was originally published January 14, 2016 at 8:41 AM with the headline "Rocket Donuts kicks off reopening with eating contest."