Krispy Kreme facts for kids
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Krispy Kreme in Cannington, Western Australia
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Trade name
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Krispy Kreme |
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| Public | |
| Traded as |
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| Industry | Restaurant |
| Founded | July 13, 1937 |
| Founder | Vernon Rudolph |
| Headquarters | Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S. |
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Number of locations
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1,400 |
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Area served
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Worldwide |
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| Revenue |  US$1.627 billion (2023) |
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Operating income
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−US$8.725 million (2024) |
| US$3.095 million (2024) |
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| Total assets | US$3.072 billion (2024) |
| Total equity | US$1.164 billion (2024) |
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Number of employees
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21,000 (December 29, 2024) |
Krispy Kreme, Inc. is a famous American company known for its delicious doughnuts and coffee. It's a big company that sells its treats all around the world! Krispy Kreme was started by a man named Vernon Rudolph in 1937. He bought a special doughnut recipe from a chef in New Orleans. Vernon Rudolph opened his first shop in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and at first, he mostly sold his doughnuts to local grocery stores. Over the years, Krispy Kreme grew a lot. It was owned by different groups and even became a public company (meaning its shares could be bought and sold by anyone) twice. The name "Krispy Kreme" is a fun, unique way to spell "crispy cream," chosen to make the brand stand out.
Contents
The Story of Krispy Kreme
How It All Started
The story of Krispy Kreme began in 1933. A young man named Vernon Rudolph worked with his uncle, Ishmael Armstrong. His uncle owned a small store in Paducah, Kentucky, that sold many things, including very popular doughnuts. People believe the special doughnut recipe came from a cook named Joseph LeBeouf. He was known for making light and fluffy doughnuts.
During a tough time called the Great Depression, the store faced challenges. So, in 1934, Vernon and his uncle moved to Nashville, Tennessee, hoping for better business. They decided to focus only on selling their delicious doughnuts. They opened "The Krispy Kreme Doughnut Company" there. The doughnuts were so popular that Vernon's father also joined them to help.
In 1937, Vernon Rudolph decided to open his own store. He chose Winston-Salem, North Carolina, as the perfect spot. At first, he mainly sold his doughnuts to other stores. But soon, people started coming directly to his bakery late at night. They wanted to buy hot, fresh doughnuts right when they were made! The very first Krispy Kreme store in North Carolina was in a rented building on South Main Street. The first Krispy Kreme bakery outside the southern United States opened in Akron, Ohio, in 1939.
Growing Bigger and Spreading Out
Krispy Kreme started growing even more in the 1950s. By the 1960s, many people in the southeastern United States knew about their delicious doughnuts. The company then began to open stores in other parts of the country. In 1976, a larger company called Beatrice Foods bought Krispy Kreme. However, a group of people who owned Krispy Kreme stores (called franchisees) bought the company back in 1982.
The 1990s brought another big growth spurt for Krispy Kreme. They opened many new stores, including their first one outside the United States in Mississauga, Canada, in 2001. This showed that Krispy Kreme was becoming popular beyond its home country.
New Ways to Enjoy Krispy Kreme
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In 2016, a company called JAB Holding Company bought Krispy Kreme. This meant Krispy Kreme became a private company again. Later, in 2017, Krispy Kreme moved its main office to Charlotte, North Carolina.
Krispy Kreme kept finding new ways to reach customers. They started testing a delivery service for businesses. They also created special shops with "tunnel ovens" so people could get hot, fresh doughnuts all day long. In 2015, Krispy Kreme celebrated opening its 1,000th store!
The company also bought another popular bakery chain called Insomnia Cookies in 2018. In 2020, they even launched their first doughnut vending machine, where you could get doughnuts 24 hours a day! By the end of 2023, Krispy Kreme doughnuts were sold in 14,000 different places, like grocery stores and even some McDonald's restaurants.
Back on the Stock Market
In 2021, Krispy Kreme decided to become a public company again. This meant people could once more buy and sell shares of the company on the Nasdaq stock market.
Krispy Kreme also tried a big partnership with McDonald's. In March 2024, they announced plans to sell Krispy Kreme doughnuts in McDonald's restaurants across the country. This idea started after a successful trial in Kentucky. By the end of 2024, you could find Krispy Kreme doughnuts in McDonald's in places like Pittsburgh and Columbus, Ohio. However, by June 2025, the partnership ended. Krispy Kreme explained that the costs were too high, and there wasn't enough demand.
In 2024, Krispy Kreme also sold most of its share in Insomnia Cookies to other companies.
Krispy Kreme Around the World
Krispy Kreme is a truly global company! The first store outside North America opened in Penrith, Australia. Soon after, another opened in London, United Kingdom.
Today, Krispy Kreme has stores in many countries across the world. You can find their delicious doughnuts in places like Egypt, France, New Zealand, South Africa, India, Mexico, South Korea, Japan, and many more!
In 2013, Krispy Kreme opened its first store in India. The same year, they also opened stores in Colombia, marking their first venture into South America. In 2015, they expanded into Africa, opening stores in South Africa.
More recently, Krispy Kreme opened its first store in Kópavogur, Iceland, in 2016. They also opened in Panama, Guatemala, New Zealand, and Nigeria in 2017 and 2018. In 2023, Krispy Kreme opened its first store in Costa Rica and expanded to Paris, France. In August 2024, they opened a store in Morocco. By April 2025, Krispy Kreme had opened its first store in Brazil, and by late 2025, they had four locations in Costa Rica. In November 2025, Krispy Kreme opened its first store in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
Delicious Krispy Kreme Products
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Krispy Kreme is always coming up with new and exciting treats! In 2007, they introduced a Whole Wheat Glazed doughnut. It had a bit more fiber than the original. By 2008, they had also reduced the amount of trans fat in all their doughnuts to a very small amount. This allowed them to say their doughnuts had "0 grams trans fat!" on the nutrition label.
Krispy Kreme loves to create special flavors. In 2010, they made a doughnut with the soft drink Cheerwine, which was very popular. They've also teamed up with other brands. In 2017, they announced Jelly Belly jelly beans that tasted like Krispy Kreme doughnuts! In 2019, they released special Reese's-flavored doughnuts.
In 2020, they launched fun candy-coated doughnuts with Nerds, sour gummies, and marshmallows. They also offer seasonal treats, like their Pumpkin Spice Doughnut Collection in September 2020, which included flavors like Pumpkin Spice Original Glazed and Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake.
For those looking for plant-based options, Krispy Kreme UK launched its Original Glazed vegan doughnut in 2021. They later added more vegan flavors like Fudge Brownie Bliss. In 2024, Krispy Kreme released the Dolly Southern Sweets Doughnuts Collection, inspired by singer Dolly Parton. These limited-time flavors included Dolly Dazzler and Peachy Keen Cobbler.
Fun Promotions and Giving Back
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Krispy Kreme has always been good at getting people excited about their doughnuts. They use word-of-mouth and have also used TV and radio ads, like their "Share the Love" campaign with heart-shaped doughnuts. Since 1955, Krispy Kreme has helped organizations raise money by selling boxes of doughnuts. They share the money to support different causes.
In 2014, Krispy Kreme created a very fancy doughnut that cost $1,685! It was covered in 24-karat gold and decorated with edible diamonds. The inside had a special champagne jelly. This super expensive doughnut was part of a fundraising effort for a charity called The Children's Trust.
In March 2021, Krispy Kreme offered a special promotion. They gave a free Original Glazed doughnut every day for the rest of the year to customers in the US who showed proof they had received a COVID-19 vaccine. Krispy Kreme explained that their doughnuts are a sweet treat to enjoy sometimes, and they were simply making them available as a thank you.
See also
In Spanish: Krispy Kreme para niños
- List of doughnut shops
- List of coffeehouse chains
- List of doughnut shops
- List of coffeehouse chains
- List of companies involved in the Holocaust
