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.
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 GlazedTM doughnuts directly to customers 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 GlazedTM - Then and Now
While times had changed a lot the company's signature Original GlazedTM Doughnut stayed the same.
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.
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.
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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.
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 VideoHot 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!
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.
2013
Opened our first outlet in India
Krispy Kreme opened its first outlet in India on 19 January 2013 in Bangalore, Karnataka.
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.
2014
Tony Thompson
June 1, 2014 - Appointment of new Krispy Kreme President and CEO Tony Thompson.
Chennai outlet opening - July,2014
Krispy Kreme launched its first state-of-the-art factory outlet in Chennai at Express Avenue on 25th July, 2014.
Mumbai outlet opening - October,2014
Krispy Kreme opened at Hiranandani Gardens, Powai on 17th October 2014.
K-Cup Packs
Krispy Kreme Coffee in K-Cup Packs
2015
1,000 Stores
February 24, 2015: Store 1000 opens in Kansas City, KS.
Citymax Hotels India Private Limited manages Krispy Kreme stores at Bangalore, Hyderabad and Chennai in India.