From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
{| align=right |
|----
|align=center|Krispy Kreme delivery van, circa 1939
|}
Krispy Kreme is the name of a popular donut chain that originated in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The founder, Vernon Rudolph, purchased a secret recipe for yeast raised doughnuts and began selling them to local grocery stores in Winston-Salem in 1937. Because of customer demand he began selling them directly from his bakery to customers. From 1976 to 1982 Krispy Kreme was owned by Beatrice Foods, but was then purchased by a group of private investors. In April 2000, the company went public.
By the 1960s it was well known throughout the southeastern United States, and began to expand across the entire country. It spread quickly across the US in the 1990s and began it open international stores. It is famous for its very light doughnuts covered in glaze and served warm. Each store has a neon sign to indicate when fresh hot doughnuts are available.
Though the chain features several varieties of donuts, it is most famous for its traditional glazed donut.
