Who says donuts are for breakfast?

At Krispy Kreme in East Rutherford, which opened Tuesday, a steady stream of customers swarmed the Route 17 store on foot and in car. All. Day. Long.

The bakery was cranking out 270 donuts per hour, said Karl Halligan, the owner of this and the two other NJ Krispy Kremes — one in Springfield and the other in Jersey City.

“It’s a good opening day,” he said, despite the stock market’s woes and coronavirus concerns.

The store will sell about 90,000 donuts on Tuesday, he said.

It took about a year to reconfigure the 3,200-square-foot building from a bank to a Krispy Kreme. It’s located at 51 Route 17 South next to a Homewood Suites by Hilton and in a stand-alone building within a shopping center that is anchored by Marshall’s and Aldi.

“We picked this location because of the visibility from Route 17, because it had a drive-thru and a lot of parking,” Halligan said.

Some customers waited in a line — that wrapped through the store or a quarter mile down Route 17 for the drive-thru — for more than an hour to get their fix.

“I’ve been waiting for this store to open,” said Maura Kelly of Hasbrouck Heights, who said she’s been slowing down as she drives past for months hoping for an indication when it would open.

She and her boyfriend planned to get three donuts each, but after waiting in line for 45 minutes, they’re getting a dozen.

Kelly said she wants to try the Oreo Cookies & Kreme, which is filled with Oreo cookies and Kreme filling, dipped in dark chocolate icing and topped with Oreo cookie pieces. “That’s going to be my favorite,” Kelly said.

Sandra Gentile of Rutherford had her heart set on a chocolate iced donut with Kreme filling.

“It’s just delicious, she said. “It’s sweet and fluffy.”

Her son Evan, 6, was going for a Strawberry iced glazed with sprinkles.

Gentile said she got hooked on Krispy Kreme’s during the family’s annual drive to Florida. They stop at one off I-95 in North Carolina, she said.

“I’d rather go there than Jersey City,” Gentile said. “There’s nowhere to park.”

For those who didn’t want to wait in line Tuesday, the store was selling just glazed and assorted dozens, pre-packed, off to the side, $13, cash only.

Donna, who declined to give her last name, of Paramus, waited in the drive-thru line for 1 hour and 10 minutes before ordering.

She and her two daughters were going to try “the more unique ones,” she said, pointing to the Oreo Kreme and a cheesecake one on the menu.

“I’m happy it’s here but this line will probably be like this for a month,” she said.

Asked if the wait will keep her from returning, she said, laughing, “An hour isn’t bad. I’ve wasted more time on other things.”

Allison Pries may be reached at apries@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @AllisonPries. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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