Krispy Kreme opened its first doughnut shop in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, in 1937.
Vernon Rudolph began the business after acquiring a doughnut recipe and opening a shop with his uncle’s support. The company’s early products were sold both directly to customers and to grocery stores, helping establish a recognizable regional presence.
Krispy Kreme became especially known for its Original Glazed doughnut and, later, for the Hot Light that signals when fresh doughnuts are being produced. The brand’s early Winston-Salem location is central to its identity and remains associated with the company’s origin story.
The 1937 opening is sometimes confused with the date Krispy Kreme expanded beyond North Carolina. Those later expansions do not change the founding location. Winston-Salem, rather than Raleigh or Charlotte, is the city connected with the original shop.