The hot doughnut light will be on at 6 a.m. On July 1 as Krispy Kreme opens its first Delaware store in several years at 114 N. DuPont Highway in New Castle.
The location is in front of the New Castle Farmers Market, and will feature more than 15 varieties of Krispy Kreme’s one-of-a-kind doughnuts, including the glazed, six varieties of bagels, as well as a menu of chiled drinks espresso beverages and coffee blends.
Other features include a 24-hour drive thru with outdoor seating and free Wi-Fi.
“It’s a sweet kick off to the long holiday weekend, “ said Keith Morgan, CEO of the franchisee building and operating the store. “The residents of New Castle have been incredibly enthusiastic throughout the process, and we can’t wait to bring the joy of Krispy Kreme back to Delaware. “ We can’t wait to see all of the fans camping out and lined up for their chance to win free doughnuts for the year.”
The opening is expected to feature a large number people camping out in an effort to get a free dozen doughnuts every week for a year for one customer and every month for a year for the next 99 in line.
The shop is at the site of a former Pizza Hut restaurant that has been razed.
It is the first restaurant in the state since Krispy Kreme opened a franchise restaurant on Conocord Pike and another off Route 40 in Bear. Both fell victim to financial problems as the parent company struggled with a financial scandal.
Under new management Krispy Kreme has been quietly expanding nationwide and in the region, aided by strong following for its doughnuts that include the glazed variety that are served hot during much of the day.
The company faces competition from Dunkin’ Donuts, which has dozens of locations in Delaware, but does not have doughnut-making operation in stores.
It has also been able to benefit from consumer demand for different types of fresher doughnuts. That has spawned many independent shops in large cities. So far, that trend has not been as evident in Delaware.
One Delaware and Maryland beach mainstay, The Fractured Prune, has announced plans to expand nationwide. Fractured Prune features fresh-made cake doughnuts with variety of toppings.
Dough Nuts for Doughnuts, LLC is the franchisee and area developer for Krispy Kreme for all of Philadelphia and surrounding counties, Delaware and southern New Jersey. It is owned by cousins, Keith Morgan and Brian Zaslow.The franchisees have been adding locations in the region and now have five stores.
Headquartered in Winston-Salem, N.C., Krispy Kreme has been around since 1937. Krispy Kreme can be found in over 810 locations around the world and approximately 10,000 grocery, convenience and mass merchant stores in the U.S.
Krispy Kreme’s New Castle location will employ between 60-80 employees. Grand openingupdates and more information is available at www.krispykremede.com.
