Which doughnut chain was founded by Vernon Rudolph in 1937?

The doughnut chain founded by Vernon Rudolph in 1937 was Krispy Kreme.

Rudolph opened his first Krispy Kreme shop in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, on July 13, 1937. He had obtained a yeast-raised doughnut recipe associated with his uncle’s business and moved to Winston-Salem after deciding to operate his own shop. The company initially supplied doughnuts to local grocery stores, but customers soon began asking to buy them hot at the bakery.

That customer demand helped inspire Krispy Kreme’s famous “Hot Doughnuts Now” identity. The first shop was located in a rented building in what is now the historic Old Salem area. The business expanded through the American South, and its first shop outside the region opened in Akron, Ohio, in 1939.

Krispy Kreme is often confused with Dunkin’, Mister Donut, or Tim Hortons because all became major doughnut-and-coffee brands. However, their founding stories and dates differ. Rudolph remained the key founder associated with Krispy Kreme, whose name originally included “Doughnut Company.”