If you live in Philadelphia, it's our hope that you've had a chance to sample the tasty wares from Federal Donuts by now. Whether it's donuts or chicken or both that float your boat, this place has you covered. Since they opened their original location in Pennsport a couple of years ago, their legend and their footprint has grown, with additional locations appearing in Center City, West Philly, and Citizens Bank Park. This week, the newest addition opened its doors, at the corner of 7th & Fairmount. Remember, we told you this was going to happen last summer.

Architecturally, the transformation that's taken place is pretty spectacular.

In the past

Finished product almost looks like a rendering

The facade of the building has been opened up significantly, with big new windows trimmed in wood. We especially like the brick accents at the bottom of those windows. In addition, there's new awnings, new lighting, and a couple of new street trees. Inside, the space is pretty big, with seating for dozens of patrons. Quite a change from the original location, which is tight when more than ten people are inside.

As we've said before, we hope that this business acts as a springboard for additional commerce in this area, which sits in a bit of a no man's land between the Northern Liberties and Poplar neighborhoods. Hey, if Federal Donuts starts drawing the crowds, we could easily see other businesses setting up shop nearby. Which could in turn lead to more residential development, which could lead to additional retail, and so on. And all of this ultimately would lead to more tax dollars and a better funded school district.

And that, friends, is how donuts will save our schools.