Free Republic

In the old days, politicians would try to buy votes. Nowadays, corporations are trying to buy your affection if you vote. Works for me. You've probably seen on WalletPop or elsewhere in the media that some big national chains are giving away free stuff to anyone who votes (or says they voted). So far, these are the major players in the game: Starbucks: Giving away a free tall coffee to people with proof of voting (or a pledge of having voted) Krispy Kreme: Giving away free star-shaped donuts with red, white and blue sprinkles (while supplies last) to people with...

From flickr, via...THE DEVIL. Either that, or it's from a Google cafeteria in New York. Apparently they serve Krispy Kreme bacon cheeseburgers, a.k.a Luther Burgers.

FRANKLIN, Tenn. -- It's North versus South -- in the doughnut wars. Dunkin' Donuts is a tradition in the Northeast, but the South is Krispy Kreme territory. Now Dunkin' Donuts is testing the waters in the Nashville area with a dozen stores. Maine native Joe Rando said he's a lifelong Dunkin' fanatic, and missed his favorite coffee and doughnuts when he moved South. Now, he's signed on with Dunkin' and is in charge of the Nashville-area operation. He feels there's room for Dunkin' Donuts, Krispy Kreme and even more. He said employees of Starbucks are coming across the street to...

RALEIGH (AP) — Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Inc. said Thursday it has terminated the license of its largest franchise operator, which means the company can no longer sell doughnuts under the famous brand name. Krispy Kreme said Los Angeles-based Great Circle Family Foods LLC, which operates 28 Krispy Kreme locations in Southern California, has not paid the required royalties and fees. "As a result of the termination, effective immediately, Great Circle Family Foods can no longer legally operate these stores as Krispy Kreme outlets and is required to remove Krispy Kreme signs and symbols within 30 days," said Krispy Kreme spokeswoman...

Krispy Kreme's neon red ''Hot Doughnuts Now" sign has gone dark on Route 1, creating a gaping hole in Saugus's commercial strip just 16 months after opening to great fanfare, with balloons, giveaways, and customers camping out overnight to be first in line. With its name blacked out on its towering sign, its windows papered up, and its building for lease, Krispy Kreme's demise is easy to spot.

WINSTON-SALEM (AP) — Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Inc. expects sales of $130 million in the third quarter, down from $170 million in the same period a year earlier, the embattled company said Tuesday. In a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the company said the third-quarter loss was primarily due to costs related to its ongoing legal and regulatory issues. A restatement of its financials going back to 2001 will lower earnings more than previously expected, the company said. The Winston-Salem-based company attributed the year-over-year decline in sales to fewer stores in operation, lower average sales per store, and...

Doughnut franchises in Saugus, Medford close Krispy Kreme doughnut shops closed yesterday in Saugus and Medford. Officials at the Jan Cos., a Cranston, R.I., company that is the Krispy Kreme franchiser for New England, did not return phone calls seeking comment. ... The Medford location was the franchiser's first Massachusetts store.

PALMDALE - If you're hooked on Krispy Kreme doughnuts, you'll have to drive to Burbank or Van Nuys now to get your sugary fixes. As of Monday, the company's Palmdale franchise was boarded up, its "Hot Now" sign dark and its display racks empty after four years of operation. Krispy Kreme outlets in Southern California are operated by Great Circle Family Foods LLC. On Tuesday, Great Circle marketing manager Amy Inabinet said the company "decided to close the (Palmdale) location as part of an effort to consolidate our resources." "We're using this opportunity to re-invest in the company and focus...

The lineups and the media buzz are gone, and so are most of its stores. Krispy Kreme, which entered Canada with a bang, has shrivelled to a half-dozen doughnut stores. KremeKo Inc., which has exclusive franchise in every province except British Columbia, filed for protection from its creditors on April 15. It tried to find a suitable buyer this summer but was unsuccessful. KremeKo hopes that it can salvage its six remaining stores. "Although the company has closed six of the twelve stores operating since the granting of (bankruptcy protection), management believes that the remaining six stores represent a suitable...

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Inc. (KKD) on Tuesday said six officers have left the company under pressure from a board committee that is looking into accounting practices and other matters that are the subject of a federal probe. The officers include four senior vice presidents and were in the areas of operations, finance, business development, and manufacturing and distribution, the company said. It did not identify them by name.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Financially strapped Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Inc. told federal regulators Monday that the filing of its 2005 annual report has been delayed because of an ongoing review of its accounting practices. The Winston-Salem-based firm said in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that the ongoing analysis included accounting practices from 2004 and "earlier years as well as in fiscal 2005." Krispy Kreme said it might have to make further revisions to past earnings reports. Last fall, the company formed a special committee of independent directors to look into whether earnings should be restated. Shares of...

For education and discussion only. Not for commercial use. Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Inc. is slashing its payroll by 25%. The number of jobs to be cut was not released by the company, but layoffs will affect employees in its corporate, mix plant, equipment manufacturing and distribution facilities. The layoffs are the first significant move by Stephen Cooper, who was hired last month as chief executive. Cooper is chairman at turnaround specialist Kroll Zolfo Cooper. The company (NYSE:KKD) says the cutbacks will result in annual pretax savings of $7.4 million and a cash restructuring charge of $600,000 in its first quarter....

Jenny Craig Inc., one of the nation's leading authorities on weight management, announced today that actress Kirstie Alley is the company's "star" client for 2005. In response to recent statements that she wants to lose the very weight that prompted her new Showtime series, "Fat Actress," Jenny Craig has offered Alley and ten of her closest friends the opportunity to participate in the program. Alley is currently working with her Jenny Craig consultants to lose weight and learn how to eat and live healthier. She will star in the company's advertising campaign featuring television commercials that begin airing January 10,...

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) -- Police followed a trail of doughnuts to find a stolen Krispy Kreme delivery truck. "It has a happy ending," Swatara Township Sgt. Robert Simmonds said. "The evidence was brought back to the police station, and the cops are eating the doughnuts." It was 12:45 a.m. Thursday when Krispy Kreme deliveryman Tim Trostle stopped at a Swatara Township convenience store and left the engine running as he made the delivery. Someone fled with the truck, but since Trostle had left the back doors open, police were able to follow a trail of doughnuts.

BELSANO, Pa. -- One sells doughnuts, the other sells ice cream. One's been in business since 1937, the other since 1968. But most importantly, one makes enough money to have more than 390 stores in 45 states and six countries while the other makes enough to employ a husband and wife full time and help a handful of teenagers each summer earn extra money for college. And now, the musclebound company, Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Inc., is on the verge of suing Krispy Kream Drive-In for stealing its company name.

Shares of Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Inc.'s fell sharply Monday as a 79 percent plunge in third quarter earnings and an intensifying accounting investigation overshadowed the pastry maker's statement that the low-carb craze might be easing. The Winston-Salem-based company also withdrew its sales forecast and said it would not provide an outlook for the current quarter and 2005. Losses for the quarter were $3 million, or 5 cents per share, from a profit of $14.5 million, or 23 cents per share, a year ago. Excluding the one-time charges related to discontinued operations, the company earned $2.4 million, or 4 cents per...

Carb-conscious Americans continued to flatten Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, as the onetime Wall Street darling yesterday posted a loss of $3 million in the third quarter. That bad news sent the stock reeling 16 percent — or to just above the $7 price of a dozen assorted sweet things. The struggling doughnut chain has lost more than 75 percent of its market value since last year as people have suddenly stayed away from the glazed treats in droves, and opted for healthier snacks. As a result, each Krispy Kreme store has seen $10,000 a week in revenue waddle out the...

Someone stole a Krispy Kreme truck from an Orlando supermarket Thursday morning. It happened at the Albertson's store on West Colonial Drive, WESH NewsChannel 2 reported. The driver left the truck running, and when he came back, his truck was gone along with $2,000 worth of doughnuts. So far, deputies haven't recovered the truck or doughnuts.

<p>SLIDELL, LA. -- Police followed a trail of doughnuts as they chased down two thieves in Louisiana.</p> <p>A woman is under arrest and her companion is on the run after allegedly stealing a doughnut truck in Slidell.</p> <p>Police say the driver of the Krispy Kreme truck told them he left the back doors open and the motor running while delivering doughnuts to a gas station. Next thing he knew, two people jumped in and drove off, spilling boxes of doughnuts out the back.</p>

RAVENNA, Ohio -- Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Inc., which has blamed the nation's obsession with low-carb dieting for its financial woes, is closing a northeast Ohio doughnut plant citing oversupply. http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/apbiz_story.asp?category=1310&slug=Krispy%20Kreme%20Closing

Excuses, excuses. Why is it corporate America still seems unwilling to tell bad news straight up? In the wake of all the business scandals, corporate integrity is supposed to be on the rise. But that certainly isn't happening when companies continue to dance around the truth. Some of the tales aren't new -- like the tired weather fallback that's often used to explain away business woes. And now the blame- game is being pinned on everything from rising oil prices to the low- carb diet, too. Just consider how businesses use excuses. When things are going well, corporate leaders often...

SEC investigators probe Krispy Kreme's books Daily Herald Reports Posted 7/30/2004 Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Inc. said Thursday the Securities and Exchange Commission is investigating how the company accounted for the repurchase of franchises and earnings forecasts. Shares of the Winston-Salem, N.C.-based company fell 16 percent. Chief Executive Scott Livengood, 51, has been buying stores back from franchisees, with some investors and analysts questioning the prices. Krispy Kreme, which had its first loss as a public company in last quarter, cut its annual profit forecast in May, triggering a 30 percent share drop. "It's just one more blow to their credibility,"...

Fat Tuesday : 'Krispy Kreme' starts serving sugary treats - By Stacey Roberts Staff Writer staceyr@nwanews.com June 30, 2004 BENTONVILLE — If the officials cutting the ribbon had prepared any speeches, no one would have been able to hear them. The official opening of the Krispy Kreme Doughnut Store at 5:30 a.m. Tuesday was met with the excited crowds that have come to be synonymous with opening a new outlet. As Bentonville Mayor Terry Coberly, partners of A-OK LLC and members of the Bentonville/Bella Vista Chamber of Commerce strung a doughnut-laden ribbon across the entrance for the traditional ribbon cutting,...

FLINT, Michigan (AP) - Michael Moore's new movie "Fahrenheit 9/11" has raised temperatures in Republican circles - and that's intentional. "I would like to see Mr. Bush removed from the White House," the filmmaker told the host of ABC News'"This Week with George Stephanopoulos." "It's an op-ed piece. It's my opinion about the last four years of the Bush administration," Moore said Sunday. "I'm not trying to pretend that this is some sort of, you know, fair and balanced work of journalism." Moore's film charges that the Bush administration acted ineptly before the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, then played...

1970's songbird Linda Ronstadt, best known for her torch song-style and mellow ballads, is working overtime these days trying to persuade her fellow Arizonans that it's time to dump President Bush "right away." In an interview broadcast on Saturday, Ronstadt was in the middle of explaining to WABC Radio's Mark Simone why she prefers living in Arizona to Los Angeles or New York, when she added one caveat. "The politics are very conservative here and I'm not conservative. I'm having a hard time sometimes convincing people that we need to vote for a new president," she offered. When Simone begged...

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- In the land where Krispy Kreme doughnuts are an institution, Matt Hollowell walked out of a new Dunkin' Donuts store with a large coffee in one hand and a sack of doughnuts in the other. If Hollowell felt like a traitor to the cult of the 'Hot Now' doughnut, he showed no guilt. 'I'm from Charlotte, so I've eaten plenty of Krispy Kremes,' the 33-year-old construction worker said when asked why he had abandoned the local favorite. 'They made a big mistake when they stopped pushing powdered sugar and cake doughnuts. What they want to sell you...

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- Hot. Now. Healthy? Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, long known for its high-calorie treats, says it plans to offer a low-sugar doughnut. The company's communications director, Amy Hughes, said Krispy Kreme hopes to use the new offering to attract dieters and diabetics to the company's stores. Just one of Krispy Kreme's Hot Original Glazed doughnuts has 200 calories. More than half those calories come from fat, which gives the fried doughnut texture and flavor. Each doughnut has 12 grams of fat and 10 grams of sugar. Hughes did not immediately return a phone call Thursday asking how much fat...

Krispy Kreme hit by Dart dispute Doughnut shops deal with union seeking contract By Stefanie Murray Lansing State Journal Bleary-eyed Krispy Kreme customers in East Lansing might have had their early morning routine rattled by a man popping out of the bathroom in a chicken suit. The man was part of a planned protest by the Oregon-based Association of Western Pulp and Paper Workers, which is trying to speed up negotiations between the union and Dart Container Corp. by pushing boycotts of users of the Mason-based firm's products. Dart hails itself as the world's largest maker of foam cups and...

For education and discussion only. Not for commercial use. CHARLOTTE - Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Inc.'s Northern California franchise is laying off employees amid reports the doughnut maker is buying the remainder of the franchise it doesn't already own. The franchise, Golden Gate Doughnuts LLC, is among the chain's largest, generating $36.2 million in revenue for the fiscal year ended Feb. 2, 2003. Winston-Salem-based Krispy Kreme owns 67 percent of Golden Gate Doughnuts, which operates 16 stores and has the rights for a total of 25 stores. The franchise also sells its sugary treats at groceries and Pacific Bell Park, home...

Over-sweet, over-fattening and over here Krispy Kreme doughnuts, the cult US fast food dubbed 'the heart attack with a hole in the middle', arrives in Britain this week - but you'll have to go to Harrods to buy one John Arlidge Sunday September 28, 2003 The Observer The ladies who lunch buy £100-an-ounce Sevruga caviar and crates of vintage Krug. The Jillys and Sebastians 'mwah mwah' at the truffle counter. The tourists want the stilton - at £20 a tin. Harrods Food Hall is so starchy and refined it is the last place you would expect a food fight. But...

For education and discussion only. Not for commercial use. One of my favorite treats will soon be appearing in one of my favorite places, with the announcement that Krispy Kreme is putting a doughnut-producing factory store inside a Wal-Mart Supercenter in Mount Airy, N.C. The two are also teaming up to test additional Krispy Kreme concepts in other Wal-Mart locations, with five shops in total opening up next month. Krispy Kreme has been selling boxes of its sugary love rings in 125 Wal-Marts across the country, but this move should offer consumers fresher doughnuts, with some of the locations making...

Krispy Kreme called shark by doughnut shop owner Knight Ridder News BEAVERTON, Ore. -- Krispy Kreme opened Tuesday in Beaverton. That frightened Joe Won Kim. Kim owns Donuts Plus, two miles east on Cornell Road from the green, red and white chain that makes people ga-ga for glazed. "They are big shark. We are small fry," Kim said as he fidgeted in a plastic-covered wooden chair. Krispy Kreme has announced its intentions to build a store in Billings, but hasn't yet said when or where, although a West End location is most likely. Krispy Kreme's opening in Beaverton, the second...

Woman's 13-Day Krispy Kreme Vigil Ends Wed Aug 27, 9:45 AM ET Add AP - Feature Stories to My Yahoo! LANSING, Mich. - For 13 nights, Annie Lewis slept on the street just feet from the area's first Krispy Kreme store, setting a record ahead of its opening. The East Lansing resident beamed as her son, 12-year-old Gregg Pullano, cut a ribbon Tuesday, signaling the opening. Gregg, who is autistic and is obsessed with Krispy Kremes, was the first customer through the door. The previous Krispy Kreme record of most nights spent outside a store before it opened was 12....

<p>The breakfast menu is set for a year in the Markiw household in Scott.</p> <p>Connie Markiw, daughter Anastasia, 13, and son Gregory, 9, were first in line at 5:30 a.m. last Wednesday when Krispy Kreme Doughnuts opened its Collier location. They had been waiting 17 hours.</p>

BURLINGTON, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 3. 2002--The Krispy Kreme Doughnuts blimp mysteriously disappeared over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. The 20-by 10-foot blimp resembles Krispy Kreme's signature packaging -- white, sprinkled with green dots and bow tie logo -- and has four red fins. The blimp was filled with 200 cubic feet of helium and was tethered to the ground 100 yards from the store. It had been a "beacon in the night" to inform customers that the new Burlington store, located at the corner of Burlington Boulevard and Haggen Drive, was open for business. Krispy Kreme Burlington is owned by Seattle based...

Chuck the rice and garters. Go for the glaze instead. The betrothed are forsaking frosted, fluffy tiers at their wedding receptions in favor of a fried yet familiar cake base -- Krispy Kreme doughnuts. Typically a morning ritual or a warm, sinful snack, the popular pastry is emerging as a new core ingredient for wedding cakes and a souvenir from the ceremony. Doughnut-crazed customers conjured up the concoction last year, and the cakes -- along with the token gifts -- have been catching on ever since. "We have had people coming in who buy dozens as departing gifts," said George...