Let's be honest: Donuts are some of the best desserts/snacks in existence! They're fried dough, sugar and other sweet additions. What is there not to love? As donuts have gotten more popular over the years, any coffee shop, bakery or sweets establishment has tried to put their own spin on donuts to represent holidays, different colors or even different characters!
However, we need to pay homage to the original donut: Krispy Kreme. This donut brand helped to put donuts on the map and have become an international phenomenon.
However, as popular as Krispy Kreme is, there are still a lot of discoveries to be made about them and their company. And we're here to provide! Here are fifteen little known facts about Krispy Kreme, including a few better kept on the down-low!
15 The Early Bird Gets The Worm
In the company's early days, if you wanted piping hot donuts straight off the presses, you needed to make quite the sacrifice. Since the baking happened early in the morning, customers would have to show up between midnight and 4 am! Talk about the "early bird gets the worm"..err..donut.
14 Special Secret Ingredient
Every highly successful product, particularly food, is due to a carefully crafted recipe. And what's Krispy Kreme's secret ingredient? According to the son of Krispy Kreme founder, Carver Rudolph, the recipe consists of egg whites, sugar, shortening, skim milk... and mashed potatoes! As crazy as this seems, there's, unfortunately, no definitive answer.
13 Always Start Your Morning With Donuts And... Beer?
People like to get creative with their food and drinks. But few go as far as these two breweries. Hidden Springs Ale Works and Arkane Aleworks created a beer...infused with Krispy Kreme donuts! This beer, apparently, has natural coffee and chocolate notes in the taste. Give it a try!
12 Won't Want To Read The Nutritional Facts
We have to acknowledge just how addictive donuts are. If you're indulging in Krispy Kreme donuts, it's best to not look at the nutritional facts. The original recipe contains five grams of fat, 21 grams of carbs and ten grams of sugar. And that's just in one 1.7 ounce donut...
11 Donut Milkshakes? Not As Enticing As You Think
Speaking of experimenting, Krispy Kreme released a line of donut smoothies and milkshakes in 2004. They only had three flavors: original, chocolate cake and raspberry. They were only contained to a few stores in North Carolina, so it wasn't the worst loss when, due to negative press, they were discontinued.
10 The Artist Formerly Known As Krispy Kreme
A franchise has made it when artists want a piece of the action. In 2012, aspiring rapper Tyler Cassidy loved Krispy Kreme so much that he actually used it as his rapper name! He released a few videos under that name until Krispy Kreme forced him to change it.
9 Some Of Their Donuts Are Out Of Your Price Range
Despite its humble beginnings, Krispy Kreme has released donuts aimed at those with higher incomes. In 2014, a UK branch crafted a donut worth 1,341 pounds ($1,685)! The donut's filling was made of Dom Perignon jelly and was topped by a flower made from gold-dusted white chocolate and edible diamonds!
8 Make It A Part Of Your Sloppy Joe
Who told you that you couldn't have dessert WITH your meal? The food chain, Chicken Charlie decided to test out this theory by introducing a new Sloppy Joe at the San Diego County Fair. Here's the twist: the buns were Krispy Kreme donuts! Apparently, it was very well received.
7 Grand Openings May Cost Them Money
Krispy Kreme has always aimed to connect with their customers and respective communities. Because of this, they offer many promotions for free donuts throughout the year. From grand openings to their own special #DayOfTheDozens, the company is happy to forfeit some profit in order to make their customers happy.
6 Used To Only Be A Kitchen
Krispy Kreme's beginnings were quite unassuming. The first store was a production kitchen in Salem, Oregon that fried donuts to sell at local grocery and convenience stores. However, passers-by were so captivated by the smell that the founder, Vernon Rudolph, cut a hole in the wall to welcome them.
5 Alone In The City That Never Sleeps
New York City is the City That Never Sleeps for a reason. They have a hundred of every store and business in order to keep people busy at all hours of the day. However, Krispy Kreme seems to be an exception. Apparently, there is only one store in the city.
4 Part Of The Black Market
Krispy Kreme has apparently made its mark on the black market. The story goes that Sonia Garcia and her two children make a nightly drive across the border to El Paso, stock up on doughnuts and then return to their town of Juarez, Mexico and sell them for 60% more!
Related: 10 Awesome Krispy Kreme Donuts You Can Only Get In Japan
3 You Never Know What'll Show Up In Your Treats
Krispy Kreme may be slipping up on its cleanliness routine. Recently, a North Carolina customer posted a video of donuts going through the glaze machine, covered in black spots that they claimed were bugs! However, the company vehemently denied the accusation. As it turns out, it was only crumbs.
Related: Where To Get The Best Donuts In The USA
2 The Original Reigns Supreme
Krispy Kreme has always loved to experiment with the shapes and colors of their donuts. They've released everything from limited edition Power Ranger donuts to donuts slathered in Nutella. However, according to most customers, the original glazed donut is still considered the superior donut. Guess you just can't beat a classic!
Related: Where To Get The Best Donuts In New York City
1 An Unfortunate Marketing Fail
We understand: marketing fails happen. However, Krispy Kreme takes the cake for most cringe-worthy fail. A British branch released a promotion for "Krispy Kreme Klub Wednesdays". Except they made the first three words an acronym... Needless to say, after many complaints, the store removed the promotion and issued an apology.