(Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Everyone has tried at least one Krispy Kreme, right? With the company growing international, it’s time to look at these interesting facts you need to know.
We’ve all tried a Krispy Kreme donut at some point in our lives and fallen in love. The gooey deliciousness just can’t be beaten and now the donuts are taking over the world. Krispy Kreme has opened up in multiple locations, including Canada, the UK, and Australia.
Now it’s time to learn as much as you can about the firm and the secrets behind the donuts. Here are nine facts you need to know about Krispy Kreme right now.
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#9. You’ll never find out the recipe
Even if you work at the firm, you’ll need to be one of the super special and highly-trusted employees to ever find out about the recipe. It’s kept in a vault in the Winston-Salem, N.C. plant. That means if that plant goes, so does the recipe!
To make the donuts the same around the world, a dry mix is made and shipped out. This dry mix is done from the one plant. And you thought the secret recipe for the McDonalds Big Mac was big!
The only thing you get to know about the donuts is how to make them. These baking methods are applied throughout the world, so it would be impossible to hide them. However, it’s the recipe that makes them so delicious, regardless of the flavor. Now you know why no other donut firm makes quite the same sweet goodness.
By the way, special yeast and purified water are used on the dry mix. The yeast is manufactured at the North Carolina site!
(Photo illustration by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
#8. It all started with the secret recipe
Vernon Rudolph started Krispy Kreme donuts from the secret recipe, which he bought from a French chef in New Orleans in 1937. It was a small business venture at first, selling just a dozen at a time—no, you couldn’t buy the donuts on their own at the time.
Rudolph had rented a building in Old Salem. He also sold them to the grocery stores in the area. From there, he grew an enterprise! It just goes to show that those small lemonade stands are worth their time and effort.
Oh, and the donuts grew in popularity because of the smell—we all know how that feels! People smelled the donuts in the street from the shop and wanted to buy them. This led to Rudolph deciding to cut a hole in one of the walls to sell the original glazed donuts straight from his place of creation.
#7. Some like it cold
While we’re used to grabbing the donuts when they’re still hot a lot of the time, you had to be an uber fan to do that when Krispy Kreme was just starting out. The hot donuts would only be available between midnight and 4 a.m.
As the demand for hot donuts rose, the cooking methods and timings changed. Eventually, Rudolph started offering hot donuts in the later hours.
It took until 1944 for the donuts to be shown in a display case. This allowed customers to go in and select a variety easily. This was at the time that the cake sticks were made available and more donuts were offered with different glazings and fillings.
(Photo illustration by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
#6. The Original Glazed remains the most popular donut
It shouldn’t be too surprising to hear that the Original Glazed donuts remain the most popular Krispy Kreme donut. They’re simple and absolutely delicious.
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The donuts are still made in relatively the same ways as they were in the past. While some elements have changed, such as the use of vegetable oil to palm oil, for example, the glaze is still done through a waterfall that the donuts pass through. This waterfall was invented in the 60s. Before that, everything was done by hand! Could you imagine keeping up with the demand by doing it all by hand?
#5. The recipe may include mashed potatoes!
Historians have debated for years about the recipe ingredients. After all, we’d all just to make the Original Glazed at home, right? Well, there are a few ideas behind the ingredients in the secret recipe—since we’ll likely never find out the full truth.
Cream of fluffed egg whites, skim milk, flour, and sugar are all expected ingredients and you can tell from the taste that they’re included. However, a surprising ingredient could be mashed potatoes! Potatoes were more popular in previous centuries and used for all types of recipes, so it wouldn’t be too out of this world crazy.
However, we’ll likely never find out the real ingredients and amount of them.
(Photo illustration by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
#4. You can win free donuts for a year
If you’re a major Krispy Kreme fan, you’ll want to look out for when new chains are opening. The lines will be long from about 3 p.m. the day before, because you get the chance to win free donuts for the whole year. And it’s not really a “win.” It’s all a matter of luck and numbers.
The first person through the door gets a free dozen donuts every single week for the full year. Don’t worry if you’re second. You’ll still get free dozens, but you’re only getting a free box a month. That’s still better than nothing. Oh, and the first 100 people through the door get that free dozen every month. It pays to wait in line!
If you do miss out or there are no openings near you, there’s always the chance to get free donuts or win prizes. Krispy Kreme puts on all sorts of competitions and events. Like on National Donut Day, free donuts were on offer for all!
#3. There’s a Krispy Kreme Challenge for charity
No, it’s doesn’t involve consuming hundreds of donuts! This isn’t a case of making yourself uber sick. Instead, there’s an activity involved to burn some calories before you start consuming them.
North Carolina State University has an annual race. Challengers run five miles and then eat a dozen donuts while they do it. The challenge is to complete it all in an hour! Even if you don’t actually complete it in the hour, you still get to have fun and raise money. All proceeds go to the North Carolina Children’s Hospital.
(Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
#2. The logo is a bowtie
Ever wondered why the logo looks like something? Stared at it for hours and still not figured it out? You’re not the only one! Well, it turns out that it’s a bowtie—and is often referred to as “the bowtie!” It was designed by Benny Dinkins and the bowtie in red, green, and white is officially trademarked in 1955.
The idea is that the bowtie means business. And it’s all about the business when it comes to working at Krispy Kreme. This is also a place to do business, grab a coffee and a snack while you talk plans and numbers. Oh, and the dozen is the perfect item to bring to the boardroom when you need a long meeting!
#1. Different shapes only started in 2000
Now you’ll see all types of shapes throughout the year, with the most popular being the heart shape for Valentine’s Day. However, did you know it took until 2000 for the different shapes to occur? Before then, only the round shaped donuts were available.
It seems odd that a chain known for its different shaped donuts would only have round shapes for so long. Well, in 2000, they started playing around with the shapes and the customers loved them so they continued it. You don’t see too many different shapes, keeping it a novelty.
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Which facts about Krispy Kreme did you know? Which ones have you only just found out? Share in the comments below.