You've probably all heard of Krispy Kreme doughnuts, and maybe you've even had some. Well, apparently they're hugely popular. I've never tasted one. They're supposed to be big in the South, but I never even heard of them when I was growing up there. The very first ever, and so far, only, Krispy Kreme shop opened in Colorado one week ago and the public response has been ridiculously over-the-top. The shop is in Lone Tree, and it's only 1.9 miles by car from my house. I drive past it at least once a day. There is a line of people out the door day and night, literally, and a line of cars going down the street for the drive-thru. For the grand opening last week, a bunch of people camped out outside the door for 17 hours prior to the ribbon cutting. Those first two days were crazy. The line of cars stretched for five blocks, they have to have off-duty sheriff's deputies directing traffic and keeping tempers from flaring, and it's costing Krispy Kreme thousands of dollars. The lines are still there around the clock: I've been past it as early as 6am and as late as 11pm and there's always a line. A friend of mine tried going at 3am and there was a long line out into the parking lot, and the car line still snaked a block away. The Amoco station and the Chuck E. Cheese's on either side have posted no parking signs and have at least threatened to start towing Krispy Kreme customers' vehicles that they find on their lots. Both major newspapers and all the TV news outlets have reported on it, effectively giving Krispy Kreme loads of free publicity.

But they're just doughnuts. Aren't they? I mean, people act like they've never had doughnuts before or can't go somewhere else to eat doughnuts. Or that Krispy Kreme won't be there next month, or next year. Yeah, I've heard that if you wait for "yours" to come off the line that the hot and gooey treats are definitely worth the wait. I don't know, that kinda sounds like hot, uncooked dough to me. So anyway, yes, I'll do my pilgrimage and I'll stand in line... one of these days, not soon, when the mania in the general populace subsides.

So here are the questions: Are they really that good? What else do you know that's created unreasonable and/or unwarranted hype and "fever" (it feels like a fad, to me), apart from those crazy "must-have" Christmas toy hot streaks?

-- Anonymous, April 04, 2001

Answers

Since it IS so close to my house and all, I've decided I will walk there once a day, eat half a dozen doughnuts, then walk back home, effectively burning off all those calories in the process. It will be my own Krispy Kreme diet and it's bound to make me filthy rich. :-)

-- Anonymous, April 04, 2001

I've had fresh hot Krispy Kreme doughnuts, and I've got to say that they taste like...doughnuts. Yeah, they're better than Dunkin Donuts, but they aren't as good as fresh local bakery doughnuts (or at least the bakery doughnuts I used to have growing up). I think it is all hype.

-- Anonymous, April 04, 2001

I agree with Nicole.

Also, I can think of several foods that taste better and don't cost as much in fat and calories.

-- Anonymous, April 04, 2001

Krispy Kreme! Ewww!! Reminds me of bodily fluids, although then I guess it would be Kreme then Krispy. Oh boy!!!

A doughnut without a hole is a danish.

-- Anonymous, April 04, 2001

They are pretty damn good, but I don't eat all that many doughnuts, really, so my opinion is probably not worthy.

I tend to prefer lemon-filled doughnuts, and I like Dunkin' Donuts' lemon-filled thingies better, but if I'm going to have just plain glazed doughnuts, Krispy Kreme beats the others everytime, esp. when the FRESH HOT DOUGHNUTS sign is lit.

Bringing boxes of hot, fresh, glazed Krispy Kremes to work makes your co-workers appreciate your finer inner qualities.

Or so I've heard.

-- Anonymous, April 04, 2001

Perhaps they're the Tickle-Me-Elmo of doughnuts? I'm Canadian, and lately I've heard of a few people who will actually cross the border (Detroit) to get them. I'm guessing the novelty will wear off.

-- Anonymous, April 04, 2001

I'm pretty much counting on the novelty wearing off. I'm guardedly excited, but less about the fact that it's the much-heralded "Krispy Kreme" brand than the fact that I finally have a decent doughnut shop near my house. I don't eat doughnuts very much (in fact, I think the last one I had was in January, and before that I can't even remember), but I do like to have one every now and then. But the closest shop is way, far away (unless I feel lucky and want to take my chances on the Safeway or some other grocery store), until now. I remember when doughnuts were king and they were everywhere. Then bagels came and the doughnut shops dried up as the bagel shops sprouted like mushrooms (or Starbucks) on every corner. So, um, yeah, I want a doughnut, but I'm not waiting 3.5 hours like everyone last week. Oh, and this Krispy Kreme reportedly has 11 doughnut varieties, which include its famous plain glazed.

Thanks, everyone, for poking holes in the hype. I have people all the time telling me they're awesome, so it's good to hear dissenting opinions.

-- Anonymous, April 04, 2001

We used to have a Krispy Kreme in Northeast Philly. It was sort of a local landmark. It closed & I'm sorry. Way better than Dunkin Donuts.

But the fact is I'm an Egg McMuffin & 1/4 Pounder w/cheese kind of guy. FACTOID- McDonalds opens a new site every 2 3/4 hrs. The concept is "boutiquing". That means a McDonalds in every Home Depot. The long term goal is to have a McDonalds no further than 5 minutes from EVERY American. They even have plans to add sites to the new jumbo Airbus liners. Life is good!

-- Anonymous, April 04, 2001

A Krispy Kreme shop opened up here in San Diego a few months ago to the same excessive media attention, hype and camping out, etc. I haven't tried them yet. In fact, I'd forgotten about it until you brought it up. Now I'll *have* to go try at least one. Just great for my weight loss program. Thanks a bunch of donuts Paul :)!

Oh yea, the Mickey D's in every store. I thought there might be a conspiracy starting when they put one in Wal-Mart a few years ago. The weirdiest Mickey D's I've been in is in England and is shaped like a flying sauser with the motif carried inside. It would of been OK, but a complete lack of windows made it really strange.

Remember pet rocks? All the 70's stuff. Maybe not must has but everywhere. Lava lamps (I just got a new one, somethings you never out grow), peace signs, POW braclets, stretched pop bottles, big fuzzy feet that you could hang on the wall, air chairs, bean bag chairs, yea I'm just remembering everything I had in my room.

-- Anonymous, April 04, 2001

I knew this was gonna be about Krispy Kremes as soon as I saw your topic listing, Paul. :-) Excellent question.
We had the same silly frenzy here in the SF Bay Area when a KK opened in Oakland, Calif, a year or so ago. After listening to my East Coast Friends rave about these doughnuts for more than a year, I found myself in Las Vegas one recent December, where there is a KK in the Excalibur casino. My mom, a true connoisseur of doughnuts (her dad owned and ran a doughnut shop while she was growing up) was with me. Mom and I decided to see what the hoo-hah was about, and sat down with a selection of different KK doughnut varieties to sample.
Our verdict?
They're fine. They're good doughnuts. There's nothing monumental about them; they're tasty, but not run-screaming-back-to-the-counter-to-buy-more tasty. Would I eat them again? Sure. Am I jonesing to eat one again? Nah.
That's my 40 cents. We liked the paper KK hats much better than the doughnuts, incidentally. I wore mine everywhere.

-- Anonymous, April 04, 2001

"My" Krispy Kreme has a drive-thru. Tell me that's not a good thing.

As for waiting in line for a damn doughnut--HELL no. I'm very patient, but I get grouchy waiting 20 minutes if I'm in a drive- through. Aren't those supposed to save us time? Isn't the food, like, already pretty much MADE? All I want is some Wendy's chicken nuggets ANyway. It's something that can't be fucked up easily. Hello, stop talking to your pimply big-pantsed Eminem-worshipping "suburban gangsta" burr-headed boyfriend and scoop the damn nuggets up with your diamante'-accented neon-spray-painted four-inch-long- fingernailed little hands (well, actually, they're hot, use the tongs) and throw them in the frookin' sack! I'm going to have to scavenge them up and put them in the container myself ANYway, as they always manage to land upside down and scatter inside the bag, so we might as well not pretend that you're showing any extra care. Just lob them in there. Yes! Two points! Again! Three more! Right on! And might I add that nuggets don't need any special toppings? I don't even want the stupid sauce, but if that concept makes your brain hurt, pick whatever package is closest and I'll just throw it out later unopened. Crikey. *fuss* *tap foot* It's been THIRTY MINUTES!! How hard can it be to scoop up breaded meat chunx that were probably already cooked five hours ago and transfer them to a paper bag and then hand the bag to me? HEY! I see them sitting right there. RIGHT. THERE. In that PAN. Look, I haven't eaten all g0d-damned day and you're the only g0d-damned fast food restaurant that is open at this ridiculously late hour besides the nasty ghetto Krystal and that scary one-armed smelly man who bangs on my car and demands money and sexual favours is there, I can see him wandering in their parking lot from where I'm patiently sitting using up ounces of gasoline just idling my stupid car and you know what? I don't like Krystal that much AND I'm not in the mood to face him. Just GIVE ME MY NUGGETS!!

Er.

*coff* Erm, sorry. I guess I have Issues.

Anyway, no, I wouldn't wait several hours for a stupid hunk of hot sugary dough. But good? Yeah, they're pretty scrummy.

-- Anonymous, April 04, 2001

Hey! How timely! Check out Gayla's (GForce) site at www.donuty.com

-- Anonymous, April 04, 2001

I love you Milla. I've been saying that to everyone today but I mean it. I do. hehe

-- Anonymous, April 04, 2001

Aw, man. I love you, too. *big, teary, huggy, violin-accented Moment ensues*

But you still can't have my Bud Lite.

-- Anonymous, April 04, 2001

Oh, now I'm craving a Krispy Kreme.

I live in Atlanta, and one of my fondest memories as a child was going to the Krispy Kreme place downtown. We didn't go often, so it was a treat, and they made the doughnuts in the shop. You could look in a little window outside, and see the doughnuts on the big conveyer belt, and then go in and order a doughnut hot out of the oven. Ah, childhood. Anyway, aside from the nostalgia, yes, they are good...so are lots of other doughnuts. I remember being excited when we got Dunkin Doughnuts...all those different kinds! It's hype. Ok, except for the hot doughnuts...those are heaven, IMHO.

-- Anonymous, April 04, 2001

Thanks for the link, Shelly, it's a cool site. Thanks, Gayla, for feeding my burgeoning donut curiosity. heh. "Donutocity." :-)

Check out this story about "cult brands" on Forbes.com, it's about how people have turned their devotion to Apple, Harley-Davidson, Krispy Kreme and others into 'cults.'

-- Anonymous, April 05, 2001

Good article Paul.

We have 2 people at work who have Miata's, but they are not "car" people.

The VW beetle was huge in it's time. There is still a serious racing class category for SCCA (Sports Car Club of America) called formula super-vee. The engines are based on the 1600cc VW engine. It's a high amatuer/low professional classification. Cults die hard.

-- Anonymous, April 05, 2001

njbethany: am also in Atlanta! Keen! Anyway, so, like, I think you now know which KK is "mine"...the one on Poncey.

Mmmm. Hot Doughnuts Now.

-- Anonymous, April 05, 2001

Okay, I've had my first Krispy Kreme doughnut. And my second. And my third. Someone brought in a dozen today to give to someone else. That someone else was only expecting one doughnut, not one dozen doughnuts, so he was happily giving them away. They were fresh, but purchased a few hours earlier and so, not hot (obviously).

As doughnuts go, these were terrific. Best I ever had? Hmmm... no. But they were very fresh, tender and light. I can think of other plain glazed doughnuts that are better, but I think the Krispy Kremes add a good dash of variety. Next, I have to get the hot ones right off the line to see what all that fuss is about. I drove past the shop at lunch time today and there was a line of cars about 50 deep for the drive-thru and the line of people was only about 12 deep outside, but I could see that it snaked around a LOT inside, like a ride at DisneyWorld or something. Sheesh.

-- Anonymous, April 05, 2001

Milla, that is THE Krispy Kreme shop, of which all others are just a pale imitation.

-- Anonymous, April 05, 2001

well they have to be hot, that's the thing. if they're not hot, then they are "just doughnuts" but if they ARE, mmmmmmmmmm... go to atlanta, drive down ponce, see the "hot doughnuts now" sign all lit up, go through the drive-thru for two hot doughnuts and a pint of milk - you're all set. I do it about twice a year. I couldn't handle it more often. oh by the way, hi. I've been a gewn fan for a long time, but I've never posted here before. mostly I hang out on hipmama.

-- Anonymous, April 06, 2001

*Cheers-like collective shout* HI, COLEEN!

And welcome. :)

-- Anonymous, April 06, 2001

Hi Coleen. Philly sends it's greetings.

-- Anonymous, April 06, 2001

Have you heard of LaMar's Donuts? Apparently this is another large national chain that has opened a store in Denver, on Sixth Avenue. A lot of media-types around town are spouting off that LaMar's, not Krispy Kreme, has the best doughnuts. Anybody know anything about LaMar's Donuts?

-- Anonymous, April 08, 2001

I had a bite of a Krispy Kreme (chocolate iced) the other day. It was decent. I like Shipley's, though. And I like Dunkin Donuts' vanilla creme. I hardly ever eat donuts, though. I used to like them until one day my family went to Shipley's and we saw donut birthday "cakes" made from Barbies. (Barbie with pink-iced-donut "skirt" around it.) Since then, I've only eaten maybe 10 donuts a year.

-- Anonymous, April 08, 2001

DOUGHNUT cakes? Isn't that redundant? Bleah!

I've seen Barbie doll Bundt-cakes and ice-cream cakes. Never a doughnut Barbie. I'm now scared, too.

-- Anonymous, April 09, 2001

We have Krispy Creme donuts here, but I wouldn't wait in line for hours for some. We can buy them at Krogers and the Speedway so I guess that makes them less then special. But they are good; light and soft. They also have the creme filled which are great; I love donuts but don't eat them too often because nothing can compare with the yeast donuts my mother made from scratch!

-- Anonymous, April 10, 2001

There was a news report here last night that informed us that the Lone Tree Krispy Kreme, two weeks old today, has been THE most successful store launch in Kripy Kreme history. Holy cow, what that says about the people around here.

-- Anonymous, April 10, 2001

Krispy donuts are the best I've ever had. I love those damn donuts, and because donuts make me sick as hell, I pay for every indulgence.

I am happy to say that there is no KK here in State College. There is a Dunkin' D that sucks (their donuts are crunchy and weird).

If the Denver KK is so crowded, are they at least putting in another one or two to relieve congestion? Every time I type KK, I think about how it's a good thing it isn't the Krispy Kreme Korporation.

And speaking of KKK, and not of donuts, I used to live in a pissant town called Plattsmouth, NE in which they have a festival every year called the King Korn Karnival. It's the KKK festival. Creepy and more fucking creepy.

This has been a stream of Robyn's concious. You may now return to your regular scheduled discussion.

-- Anonymous, April 10, 2001

Wouldn't that be Kreepy and more Kreepy? ;-)

I haven't heard of plans for another Krispy Kreme in the Denver area, but they have absolutely got to do it. People are driving 50 miles or more for these doughnuts, Krispy Kreme could stand to put in seven more. I even heard, though I didn't catch the whole story, that two young women from Germany flew to Denver to be part of opening day at Krispy Kreme. For Pete's sake, already.

-- Anonymous, April 10, 2001

I finally had part of a Krispy Kreme. It was good. I admit that for a few days after that, I kept wanting to drive the seven or ten miles to the Krispy Kreme drive-thru and get some more. Once we passed it on the way to a restaurant and I even suggested stopping there after dinner. But we didn't, because we were too full.

A couple of weeks later, I drove to a coffee place that happened to sell them. I didn't have a lot of cash on me, so I only bought a Krispy Kreme for each of my kids and a hot chocolate for myself. I had a bite of one of my kids' donuts. It was good. Very sweet, nice texture.

That was it. I haven't really wanted one since. I still like Shipley's, because it's near by. Fuck driving extra for donuts -- much less waiting in line.

-- Anonymous, August 28, 2001

There are two more opening soon in the Denver metro area. One's up in a northwestern suburb, Westminster, not too far from Boulder. The other's supposed to be in Aurora, a suburb to the east.

I'm afraid my wife is hooked on Krispy Kreme now. She hadn't had one while everyone she knew was trying them, so one day when the line was short we went there and bought a dozen. She ate four right away. Since then, she's twice decided "Doughnuts. They're what's for dinner." and let me tell you I can't really do doughnuts and coffee for dinner anymore. :P

-- Anonymous, August 28, 2001

Krispy Kreme's are ok, but they're still just donuts (and give me a major tummy ache). Actually, I just like saying the phrase "krispy kreme" -- a lovely word combo.

About the McDonalds in every store, this really has to stop. My son and I were in Wal-Mart last weekend and RAN out of the store as soon as we paid for our junk; we were sickened upon arrival by the weirdest combination of smells: frying Mickey D's food mixed with the maple-syrup smell of the caramel corn being made on the premises...this all mixed with a vague urine smell near the entrance. My son held his nose the entire time we were in the store. Bad enough that Wal-Mart smells like polyester & moth balls to begin with, but to add those food smells...I can't imagine what that would do to a pregnant woman. Trust me, if I feel faint with hunger, I'm going to leave your store anyway and go somewhere decent to eat. Ugh.

-- Anonymous, August 28, 2001