In what North Carolina city was the first Krispy Kreme opened?

The first Krispy Kreme opened in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Vernon Rudolph established the company there in 1937 after bringing a yeast-raised doughnut recipe to the city.

Rudolph rented a building at 534 South Main Street in what is now historic Old Salem. He initially sold doughnuts to local grocery stores, but the aroma from the bakery soon attracted people who wanted to buy them hot and fresh.

Winston-Salem was not chosen at random. Rudolph had learned that Camel cigarettes, his favorite brand, was headquartered there, and he decided the city offered a promising base for his new business. The company’s headquarters later moved to Charlotte in 2017, but Winston-Salem remains central to Krispy Kreme’s history.

The brand expanded beyond North Carolina in 1939, when it opened a bakery in Akron, Ohio. Its “Original Glazed” doughnut and “Hot Now” sign eventually helped turn a regional Southern business into an international chain.