The Wayback Machine - https://waybackassets.bk21.net/20140920202525/http://www.krispykreme.com:80/about/Our-Story

Sharing the joy around the world

doughnuts and coffee since 1937

Our mission is to touch and enhance lives through the joy that is Krispy Kreme.

Our vision is to be the worldwide leader in sharing delicious tastes and creating joyful memories.

We Believe...

Consumers are our lifeblood, the center of the doughnut
There is no substitute for quality in our service to consumers
Impeccable presentation is critical wherever Krispy Kreme is sold
We must produce a collaborative team effort that is unexcelled
We must cast the best possible image in all that we do
We must never settle for "second best;" we deliver on our commitments
We must coach our team to ever-better results

Vernon Rudolph Signature

Scroll to see our Timeline!

30s

1937

WE OPENED OUR DOORS ON JULY 13, 1937

Vernon Rudolph bought a secret yeast-raised doughnut recipe from a New Orleans French chef, rented a building in what is now historic Old Salem in Winston-Salem, NC, and began selling Krispy Kreme doughnuts to local grocery stores.

The delicious scent of cooking doughnuts drifted into the streets, and passers-by stopped to ask if they could buy hot doughnuts. So, he cut a hole in an outside wall and started selling hot Original Glazed doughnuts directly to customers on the sidewalk.

Selling doughnuts on the sidewalk

40s

1944

Birth of the Display Case

After the war, a showcase was designed for this space. The top served as the counter. Since cake doughnuts and cake sticks were made as well as yeast doughnuts, an attractive display could be made of the variety. The display case is a feature you cannot miss when entering our stores today.

1945

Original Glazed - Then and Now

While times had changed a lot the company's signature Original Glazed Doughnut stayed the same.

The Original Delivery Truck

50s

1955

Bowtie gets Trademarked

The Krispy Kreme bowtie logo is trademarked with familiar green and red coloring.

Fundraising Begins

Krispy Kreme Fundraising- Special business ordering from churches, schools, clubs and other organizations took an upswing in 1955, and has grown steadily.

Using the Fund Raising Plan to sell doughnuts has enabled many schools to buy uniforms and take school trips. The Plan has also helped organizations buy air conditioners, pianos, and libraries for schools. It has helped to fund scholarship programs.

60s

1963

Production

Hand production was a thing of the past when automation took over. The planning and timing of production became a vital task.

70s

1973

Vernon Rudolph Dies

Krispy Kreme held in trust by a bank for three years; at this point Krispy Kreme has grown to a southeastern chain with 60 shops.

Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Coffee Sign

80s

1989

First Retail Store

The first retail-only store is opened which brings the doughnuts out to the customer on the 180 curve. This first location is on High Point Road in Greensboro, NC.

The innovative menu system helped shops to be able to order products at a much faster pace than the former paper ordering system. A team member testing the program at the launch said, "I can order in fifteen minutes. It's amazing. I can change orders when necessary and then print my tickets." Since this time, the Krispy Kreme Information Services Department has been researching innovative solutions to provide ease to team members and guests.

90s

1992

Birth of the Hot Light

The Hot Doughnuts Now light was developed.

00s

2000

Shaped Doughnuts

New shaped doughnuts rolled out including the highly popular heart doughnut.

2001

First International Shop in Canada

In December 2001, the first International store opened in Canada just outside of Toronto.

Doughnut Globe

10s

2011

New Krispy Kreme Coffee

Krispy Kreme proudly announces the launch of its new Krispy Kreme Signature Coffee Blends at participating U.S. and Canada locations. Three specially crafted coffee blends "WORTHY" of its one-of-a-kind doughnuts. This also opened the door for speciality coffee blends.

Play Video

Hot Light App Launched

We invented the Hot Light App in response to customer requests to know exactly when our doughnuts are the hottest. Becoming wildly popular since it's inception, it continues to evolve as it alerts Krispy Kreme fans when it's the perfect time for hot, delicious doughnuts. Click to get the apps!

Hot Light App

2012

we Celebrate the 500th International Location

We celebrated our 500th international opening in Aguascalientes, Mexico. Since opening our first international location in 2001, we have expanded into 21 international markets.

Krispy Kreme's 75th Birthday

Glaze the Nation Tour Kicks Off

Reminiscent of the early 1940s when Krispy Kreme mobilized its small fleet of delivery trucks to bring our signature doughnuts to fans of all ages, last year's tour set out to bring the celebration of our 75th birthday to Krispy Kreme fun-atics across the country.

Check it Out!
Glaze the Nation Tour Bus

2013

We celebrate the 100th shop in Mexico

We proudly open the doors of our new store in Cancun, making it Mexico's 100th Krispy Kreme location. Along with Cancun, Krispy Kreme currently has locations in some of the most vibrant and exciting cities in Mexico, including Mexico City, Puebla, Cuernavaca, Monterrey, Leon, Guadalajara, and Aguascalientes.

That's Our Krispy Kreme Story.

What's Yours?
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