Business Community

Fusion Donut Cafe gets off to a sweet start with its soft launch

Posted on July 15th, 2025 By: Julie Warrick Ammann

Joe Loya showed up at 5:30 a.m. Monday to be Fusion Donut Cafe’s very first customer.

“I waited until they opened at 6 a.m.,” said Ioya, a member of the Gig Harbor Kiwanis Club, proudly showing the photo of his first donut purchase. He returned later that morning after his workout.

“This time, I came for my wife,” he added with a smile.

Fusion Donut Cafe, located next to Lucky Dog Outfitters in the Peninsula Shopping Center, quietly opened its doors Monday with a soft launch. It was the first day of donut sales in Gig Harbor for co-owners Alberto Peña and Shamika David (who was not present). Former business partner Ezekiel Cruz was also on hand to support the opening.

Peña was up all night prepping for the grand debut.

“The first day is going really, really well,” he said, visibly tired but beaming with pride.

Joe Loya, center, was the first customer at Fusion Donut Cafe on Monday, July 14. Co-owner Alberto Peña (left) and former business partner Ezekiel Cruz joined him for a donut. Photo by Julie Warrick Ammann

Cocktails not on the menu

This is the second location for the business. The original Fusion Donut Cafe in downtown Tacoma also includes a cocktail lounge after 4 p.m. The Gig Harbor shop doesn’t have that feature yet, though Peña says they hope to offer beer and wine once they secure permits.

While Gig Harbor is new territory for Fusion, Peña feels right at home. Raised in Silverdale and Bremerton, he says his family frequently visited the Gig Harbor waterfront. “We love Gig Harbor,” he said.

The new location features the same menu as the Tacoma shop, offering a mix of classic and creative options. Peña describes them as traditional-style donuts, some with a twist. For example, the guava-filled donut is a raised variety with tropical guava jam, while the pistachio donut is topped with pistachio icing and crushed pistachios.

Customers order during the soft opening of Fusion Donuts in the Peninsula Shopping Center on Monday, July 14, 2025. Photo by Julie Warrick Ammann

Traditional favorites remain popular, including glazed, powdered sugar, maple and chocolate bars, old-fashioneds, cinnamon rolls, sticky buns, and fruit fritters.

Prices range from $1.99 for a classic donut to $3.99 for fritters. A dozen donuts goes for $19; a “House Dozen,” which includes a mix of ring and filled donuts, costs $23.

So what makes Fusion Donuts special? “We make our own frostings,” said Peña, as well as the dough.

Alberto Peña, a co-owner of Fusion Donuts, fetches donuts for a customer on Monday, July 14, 2025. Photo by Julie Warrick Ammann

Customer reaction

Kim Egan, a Gig Harbor transplant from Los Angeles, said Fusion donuts bring back sweet memories. Toasting donuts with her 3-year-old daughter Millie, while 16-month-old June enjoyed a donut and pink balloons from her stroller, Egan said, “These taste just like the ones I remember in LA.”

Scott and Mary Kolar of Gig Harbor tried the Boston cream, raspberry-filled, and pistachio cream donuts. “It’s very good,” Scott said. “The chocolate…” he paused, letting out a whistle, “that’s good stuff.”

Mary said it was refreshing to see life return to the aging shopping center. “It’s good to see all the people coming in again.”

Peña credits Rush Companies, the commercial real estate and development firm that manages the center, for much of that renewal.

Kayla Rodriguez of Fox Island brought 4-year-old Sofia (left), 5-year-old Julian (right) and 1-year-old Stella to opening day of Fusion Donut Cafe in the Peninsula Shopping Center. Photo by Julie Warrick Ammann

“Rush has been super, super good,” he said. “They’ve put a lot of investment into this place, and there are two more tenants coming,” though he’s keeping those names under wraps for now.

The shop’s cheerful pink-and-white interior matches its glazed offerings, with digital screens lining the wall above the counter.

For now, all donuts are made fresh daily in Tacoma and transported to Gig Harbor. If business continues to grow, Peña hopes to build a kitchen on-site.

Donuts for sale at Fusion Donut Cafe in Gig Harbor on Monday, July 14. Photo by Julie Warrick Ammann

Donuts sold out quickly

Judging by Day One, growth looks promising. Just one hour before closing, the donuts were gone. Staff assured customers that more would be available the next day. Peña offered a free donut with every purchase on opening day and extended the same offer to those who arrived after the donuts had sold out, encouraging them to return the following day.

Despite the exhaustion, Peña was reflective and grateful.

“I’d like to thank Gig Harbor,” he said. “They’ve been very supportive. People love to stop by and talk. We’re really, really, really thankful.”

Other local businesses have offered their support as well. Just down the road, B’s Bagels shared the news of Fusion’s opening with their customers. Peña shared how special it is to open in a small community, where friendly neighbors stopped by with curiosity and support even as the team was still setting up the store.

Gig Harbor City Council member Reid Ekberg and his wife, Carrianne Ekberg, executive director of the Downtown Waterfront Alliance, stopped by early before dropping their kids, Milo and Cora, off at soccer camp.

While Milo and Cora didn’t say much at first, their serious focus on the donuts said it all. Before his second donut, and with the confidence of a Shark Tank judge, 8-year-old Milo dropped the ultimate verdict: “This is way better than Dunkin’ Donuts.”

Fusion Donut Café’s warm welcome reflects more than just a love for donuts; it’s part of a broader question taking shape in Gig Harbor’s downtown core. As the Peninsula Shopping Center attempts to shed its image of past vacancies, businesses like Fusion represent the potential for new life in the space.

Will this wave of investment and community interest translate into long-term success? Time will tell. But judging by the first day’s buzz, and even the quiet approval of young donut critics, the neighborhood is more than ready to sink its teeth into something sweet.