Krispy Kreme opened its first shop in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, in 1937.
Vernon Rudolph founded the company after acquiring a doughnut recipe from a New Orleans chef. He began selling the doughnuts to grocery stores, but the aroma from the cooking process attracted passersby. Rudolph then cut a hole in the wall of the Winston-Salem building so customers could buy hot doughnuts directly from the production area.
That direct-sale approach became a defining part of the Krispy Kreme experience. The chain later became especially associated with glazed doughnuts, illuminated “Hot Now” signs, and stores where customers could watch doughnuts being made.
The company expanded through company-owned and franchised shops. Its history is sometimes confused with that of Dunkin’, another major doughnut brand, but the two companies were founded separately and developed in different regions of the United States.