By karl vilacoba
Staff Writer
Customers file out past the “hot” sign at the new Krispy Kreme in Brick after its 5:30 a.m. opening July 23.
BRICK –– Franchise officials say it’s the "Krispy Kreme experience," not just the doughnuts, that has spawned the cult following behind the chain’s success.
"I think everyone shares their own Krispy Kreme magic moment, if you will, whether it was in the South 30 years ago or out in California a few years ago," said Rocco Fiorentino, president of the franchise’s area developer, Freedom Rings, LLC.
One part of that formula is the "hot doughnuts now" sign, or "hot sign" for short.
The sign was a minor point of contention during the winter Planning Board application process, as board members noted that township land-use guidelines discouraged large neon signs. Because of the sign issue, Salvatore Petoia voted against the application, and Frederick Underwood abstained from voting on the plan.
Photos by Veronica Yankowski Toms River residents Laura Gilman (r) and daughter Kristen, 11, sample Krispy Kreme products outside the new store on July 23. Gilman waited on line for about 22 hours in order to ensure she was the store’s first customer.
Fiorentino pushed for an exception on the sign, noting, "It’s what makes Krispy Kreme Krispy Kreme." The plan was approved by a 6-1 vote.
"It’s integral to our business," Fiorentino said last week, hours before the store opening. "First, it tells our guests that our signature hot donuts are coming down the line. Second, while that sign is on, our guests are entitled to come in for one free doughnut."
In the weeks before the opening, Krispy Kreme forewent traditional advertising routes in favor of community-based approaches, according to Freedom Rings Director of Brand Development Charlotte Gibson. Instead of running radio, print and television ads, the store gave out doughnuts at SummerFest, invited local children to dig for prizes at its ground-breaking ceremony, and counted down the days until its opening on a storefront sign on Route 70.
The results were evidenced by the large crowd waiting in front of the store before its 5:30 a.m. opening on July 23.
"Krispy Kreme doesn’t need to advertise. I’ll do it for them," said Toms River resident Laura Gilman, who began waiting on line around 7:30 a.m. July 22.
Fiorentino said it was a combination of the area’s demographics and intangibles that made him select Brick for the state’s first Krispy Kreme.
"We studied Brick for a long time," Fiorentino said. "If you go into an Applebee’s here, you’ll see pictures of local sports teams all over the walls. It’s exactly that kind of community atmosphere that Krispy Kreme loves to be a part of."
Krispy Kreme held local career fairs to build up its staff of about 135 employees, Fiorentino said.
Freedom Rings also runs three Krispy Kreme sites in Pennsylvania, and one in Delaware. Fiorentino said Freedom Rings is considering new stores in other New Jersey counties, but no expansion sites are definite.
"We’re pretty comfortable here in Brick," Fiorentino said.