Posted on 02/08/2005 2:50:16 PM PST by Willie Green
Eating their donuts for a month and going in for a cholesterol test might not be for the feint of heart. LOL
My first job (13, lied about my age) was at Dunkin Donuts. Haven't been in one for years. I remember the powdered, chocolate cream filled were my favs. It was quite gross, however, as the cream was really like a whipped, chocolate flavored nylon type product that came in a 10 gallon bucket. Still, I ate plenty of 'em.
I had to wear a very ugly pink uniform. What a 13 year old will do for money!
True. ;-)
DD is lightyears better than KK donuts. KK donuts gag me they are so greasy and sweet.
What’s all the fuss about?
Have you developed a Krispy Kreme addiction yet? Many people have, and the number is growing daily.
Humorist Roy Blount Jr. wrote in the New York Times Magazine that, “Krispy Kremes are the best doughnuts in creation.” He fawns, “They are to other doughnuts what angels are to people.”
When Krispy Kreme opened in New York a couple of years ago, the magazine Elle called it “the trendiest spot in Manhattan.” Sighted there were folks like George Steinbrenner and Lauren Bacall. In a piece syndicated by the Los Angeles Times, a self-identified “food pro” gushed: “The Western world's most perfectly realized creation is this chain's 24-hour drive-up window; order a sack of hot ones and a cup of coffee - and pay with a credit card.”
In my never-ending quest to develop myself culturally, I made a trip Sunday to beautiful downtown Summit, Illinois. The purpose: to find out for myself whether Krispy Kreme doughnuts deserve the cult-like status they enjoy.
Krispy Kreme has been in business for over sixty years, mostly in the South. It’s claimed the jelly-filled doughnuts that added a few extra ounces to Elvis before his untimely demise came from Krispy Kreme. The Summit store is the first of more than a dozen the company plans to open in the Chicago area over the next few years.
The local response to Krispy Kreme has been overwhelming. People have come from considerable distances to get their mitts on the delectable delicacies. Turning out 270 dozen doughnuts an hour hasn’t been enough to fill public demand, as evidenced by shortages of some varieties.
Sunday afternoon was bitterly cold, with a wind chill temperature of –25 degrees. That did little, if anything, to slow down Krispy Kreme aficionados. Getting there at about 3:30, we waited in line more than 40 minutes before ordering.
It went by quickly, as we watched the entire preparation process through glass windows. Krispy Kreme is nothing if not fully automated. A conveyer relentlessly plugs along, turning out a product sold as quickly as it’s produced. Despite the crowd, service was surprisingly good once our order was placed.
Almost no one I saw bought just one dozen doughnuts; two or three appeared the standard. Many couldn’t wait to get home to start scarfing. I saw one father and his two young sons knock off a dozen before they left the store.
Getting two dozen, I decided not to wait. While still in the store I opened a box up and ate a couple of glazed doughnuts.
Guess what? They were a disappointment. At the risk of being ridiculed – more than usual, that is - I simply don’t understand the immense popularity of Krispy Kreme doughnuts.
This isn’t to say they’re not good. They are. But I didn’t find them any better than what’s available at Dunkin’ Donuts, two of which we passed en route to the Summit shrine, or local bakeries such as Tuzik’s in Oak Lawn. (No, I’m not mentioning Tuzik’s just because I’m hoping for a lifetime supply of their incredibly yummy creme coffeecakes. If they want to demonstrate their appreciation that way, it’s their business.)
As anyone who’s mistaken me for Elvis in his heftier days can tell, I know my way around a doughnut. I pay close attention to flavor, texture, icing taste and thickness, and freshness and lightness. Krispy Kremes do well in all categories, but not enough to single them out.
Nor can price be ignored. And here Krispy Kreme really stands out at $4.79 a dozen for glazed and $5.39 for an assorted dozen. That’s considerably more than Dunkin’ Donuts or most local bakeries charge.
What’s the secret to Krispy Kreme’s success? Marketing plays a major role. The doughnut chain is mentioned in movies and popular television programs. They sell sweatshirts, hats, and mugs with the Krispy Kreme logo on them. The doughnut’s connection to Elvis, while unsubstantiated, doesn’t hurt.
Right now, just the fact there’s only one Krispy Kreme shop in the area is a big plus. As more are opened, the novelty should diminish.
So, I’ll wait until the lines go down before heading back to Summit for more. Hope I don’t miss George Steinbrenner and Lauren Bacall.
Levitra.
KK are like the Penguins franchises of the 90s. Plenty of people invested hundreds of thousands when they were doing good, the fad passed and they went BROKE.
KK donuts are NOT a good donut, there is no benefit to them in their over-saturation. I think they will be lucky to avoid bankruptcy IMO.
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