Krispy Kreme Returns to Minnesota, Will The Glazed Appeal Last?
After 17 years, Krispy Kreme made its long-awaited return to the Twin Cities. The doughnut shop officially opened its new Fridley location on Nov. 13 to considerable fanfare, as several hundred people stood in line.
At a time when people want things as quickly as possible, there’s just something about hot, glazed doughnuts that forces them to make an exception.
“I was here for about two hours,” said Terrell Hauser, a customer from Minneapolis. “I got here at 9:00 and it’s about 11:30 now, so two and a half hours. Went through in the express line. It’s definitely worth it.”
The grand opening of this new, 12,000-square-foot Fridley store was a long time coming for fans of the popular pastries.
“You know, for 88 years, we’ve made the same original glazed doughnut,” said Patrick McIntyre, Krispy Kreme’s head of development. “And for 88 years, when that hot light turns on and people try a hot doughnut, they’re like, this is the most amazing thing I’ve ever had.”
However, this isn’t the first time we’ve seen this scenario play out in the Twin Cities.
Fresh doughnuts at the new Krispy Kreme in Fridley.
Looking back
When Krispy Kreme first arrived in Maple Grove back in 2002, the hype was incredible.
“It’s more than a doughnut. It’s just something your body needs. It’s like a necessity,” said a customer at the time.
It was a necessity, until it wasn’t. The Maple Grove store closed six years later.
“There’s no guarantee that it’s anything but a fad. Is something a trend or a fad? That’s the whole problem,” said George John, a University of Minnesota marketing professor.
Professor John says food retail is a notoriously challenging business.
“When you open any new restaurant, or any new retail store, the first four or five months look brilliant,” John said. “But what you actually have to track is not how many people come in the first few months, but how many people actually return after their first visit. That’s what hit Krispy Kreme.”
People lined up at the Maple Grove Krispy Kreme in 2002.
Long-term viability
At this month’s grand opening celebration in Fridley, company leadership didn’t have much interest in reliving the past.
“When we were in Minnesota last, it was through a franchise, and so I’m not sure the reasons that drove them to not stay in the market,” said McIntyre. “But we’re super excited to be back here today, to have this kind of response, clearly tells us that we’ve done the right thing.”
Ultimately, we won’t know the answer for several years.
“I think it’s a flip of a coin whether it’s going to succeed or whether we’re going to see a repeat of that Maple Grove fiasco,” John said.
But if day one in Fridley is any indication, they’re certainly off to a good start.
“I’ve been waiting for a long time, so super excited,” said Hauser, the customer from Minneapolis.
In addition to serving customers on-site in Fridley, the shop will also produce Krispy Kreme doughnuts for grocery stores and other retailers across the state.
See also: Robbinsdale Chocolate Shop Marks First Year with Ghoulishly Good Treats
