Krispy Kreme

Brian Lutz
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Re: Krispy Kreme

Post by Brian Lutz »

In the Seattle area there are still four Krispy Kreme locations (2 in Seattle in SODO and on Aurora, one in Issaquah and one in Tacoma) but I think those shops have remained relatively stable over time since they opened in the early 2000s. There are also four other locations in Washington (in Vancouver, Yakima, Kennewick and Spokane) although I don't know who runs those. Interestingly, I think the relatively small number of locations works in their favor as they never quite oversaturated the market the way they did in some places, and those shops seem to do OK (back before Covid my office was a couple of blocks from the SODO location so there would be donuts in the office on occasion). The biggest competition in the area would probably be Top Pot, which has appeared and proliferated in the years since Krispy Kreme opened here, and makes a much better (but more expensive) product overall.
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Re: Krispy Kreme

Post by storewanderer »

Funny- up in Hillsboro or maybe Beaverton I came across a Krispy Kreme and in the evening there were 2 cars at its drive through. I think the inside may have been closed, it was deserted but lit up. Didn't stop in but that seems to be about the typical traffic for them.
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Re: Krispy Kreme

Post by Brian Lutz »

While on the subject of Krispy Kreme, they just announced that anyone can get a free donut each day for the rest of the year by showing a COVID vaccination card.

https://news.yahoo.com/covid-vaccine-mo ... 04974.html
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Re: Krispy Kreme

Post by storewanderer »

It will be interesting to see how many franchisees participate in their free donut promotion. The "hot lamp" promotion which meant anyone got a free glazed donut if they walked in when the hot lamp was on, is something a number of franchisees have quit honoring.

These "original glazed" 100% machine made donuts cost them pennies to make so it does not impact them much to give one away. Cost goes up considerably (when you are starting at pennies) on the other flavors due to the labor and materials to frost them.
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Re: Krispy Kreme

Post by Alpha8472 »

Free medium brewed coffee and glazed original donut on Mondays 3/29 through 5/24.

How are they making money off of that?

I have noticed at my pharmacy that we are getting many people saying that once they get their COVID vaccine that they will go on vacation and fly again. We are getting many visitors from other states who just got their vaccinations.

I think that Krispy Kreme is trying to encourage people to get vaccinated to stimulate the economy. Or maybe it is to gain customers over other donut places.
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Re: Krispy Kreme

Post by storewanderer »

How do you claim the free coffee and donut on Monday?

In Sparks about 35 cars in the drive through waiting yesterday but I went inside and there were only a couple people in line then nobody was behind me. The shelf for online orders probably had 100 boxes of donuts crammed onto it. Not sure what was going on with that.

I went in and nobody knew anything about it, I pulled up the promotion and they didn't know how to run it through the register. Eventually they just gave me the donut and coffee. I also bought a couple other donuts which they did ring up at 1.29 each (signs said 1.59 each?).

Was surprised how limited their donut variety is. The blueberry cake and chocolate cake are both gone. I asked for them and the employees didn't seem to know what I was talking about. I noticed they weren't on the menu board, after.
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Re: Krispy Kreme

Post by Alpha8472 »

Anyone can ask for the Monday free items starting 3/29. The Monday promo has not yet begun.

Every shop has a different variety of donuts. Some do not offer all the choices.
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Re: Krispy Kreme

Post by storewanderer »

Alpha8472 wrote: March 23rd, 2021, 7:36 pm Anyone can ask for the Monday free items starting 3/29. The Monday promo has not yet begun.

Every shop has a different variety of donuts. Some do not offer all the choices.
Man... not sure why they advertised it before it became effective.

I hope the location here will add more choices.
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Re: Krispy Kreme

Post by bryceleinan »

storewanderer wrote: March 23rd, 2021, 11:12 pm
Alpha8472 wrote: March 23rd, 2021, 7:36 pm Anyone can ask for the Monday free items starting 3/29. The Monday promo has not yet begun.

Every shop has a different variety of donuts. Some do not offer all the choices.
Man... not sure why they advertised it before it became effective.

I hope the location here will add more choices.
My mom and I needed to run to Costco for something last Saturday, and Spanish Springs happened to have it. Went by Krispy Kreme at 10ish, and happened to get one of the last dozen donuts they had - their fryer went kaput due to employee error. I haven't seen if they are up and running again, but they told me they would be closed on Sunday (Easter) and they were making accommodations for 200 dozen donuts, probably for a church. I'm guessing they drove them up from Roseville if they couldn't get the fryer fixed later on Saturday. As far as choices go, they have what I remember from the Reno store, and what Roseville has.
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Re: Krispy Kreme

Post by storewanderer »

bryceleinan wrote: April 6th, 2021, 9:06 pm

My mom and I needed to run to Costco for something last Saturday, and Spanish Springs happened to have it. Went by Krispy Kreme at 10ish, and happened to get one of the last dozen donuts they had - their fryer went kaput due to employee error. I haven't seen if they are up and running again, but they told me they would be closed on Sunday (Easter) and they were making accommodations for 200 dozen donuts, probably for a church. I'm guessing they drove them up from Roseville if they couldn't get the fryer fixed later on Saturday. As far as choices go, they have what I remember from the Reno store, and what Roseville has.
They have no blueberry cake or chocolate cake donuts but to be fair those aren't on their menu (but they always had them before in the old Reno location). No apple fritters despite those being on the menu. Mini donuts on the menu but haven't seen them there. There seem to be few varieties of donuts available in general at this location, like only about six or seven varieties at a time, not even all they show on the menu are available. Also very limited on filled donuts; on my last visit the only filled donut was some kind of cream. Where are the fruit filled ones (old Reno one had raspberry, lemon, apple, blueberry filled). The old Reno location had a lot more variety- also had some freshness issues with that large variety which may explain why they have cut back so much on the variety in this new location.

I actually went to the old Reno one on May 14, 2008 (the night before it closed- hadn't been announced it was closing yet... but had been pretty obvious the location was struggling) and got an assortment of photos and of course donuts. The location closed as normal that night then someone posted a sign announcing it was closed late the night of May 14 and the employees learned of the closure on May 15 early in the morning when they showed up to work. Sign crews were dispatched to remove signs on May 15 and dumpsters to empty the location out/delivery trucks moved some equipment down to Las Vegas. I see I purchased an "assorted dozen" for 7.99 and it had in it jelly filled glazed lemon, jelly filled with powder apple, chocolate cake, blueberry cake, something with white frosting on top that is filled- not one of those flavors is sold in this new Sparks unit.

Looking at my photo of the menu board it showed 15 donut varieties in the old Reno location plus advertising the fritter. Seasonal ones not listed in my photo but they had some of those too, so variety was more than 15. This new Sparks location's menu advertises 12 donut varieties (2 of which are seasonal) but 5 of those 12 they list as available to order have not been present either time I've been there.

And back in 2008, Reno did not have 3 locations of Doughboys plus a few other new independent donut shops have popped up around Reno (that one downtown called Holy Schmidt that tries to copy Voodo in Portland, Sprinkle Donuts, 2 Donut Bistro locations, and others I am forgetting). Oh and the 2, soon to be 3, Dunkin locations but I'm not sure I'd even count those as competition since their donut product is so bad.

Ratings for this new location are pretty poor. I haven't had any issues with it either time I've gone and it seems well staffed and very clean... but I am bummed by the poor variety. But it is pretty deserted of customers already...
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