VERONICA YANKOWSKI Victoria Applegate prepares some Krispy Kreme doughnuts as a boy watches during the store’s grand opening July 23.
Large crowd camps out for opening of first Krispy Kreme in N.J.
By karl vilacoba
Staff Writer
The first Krispy Kreme in New Jersey opened last week in Brick with a spectacle on par with the premiere of a new Star Wars movie at Los Angeles’ famed Mann’s Chinese Theatre.
A crowd of about 100 chanted the countdown for the store’s 5:30 a.m. opening last Wednesday, while the rest of Brick was deep asleep.
Dozens camped out overnight, taking shelter from strong thunderstorms and torrential downpours in an outdoor tent provided by Krispy Kreme. Some might call them crazy campers, but those on line said it was all in the name of having a good time.
"It’s the excitement of being out here, being with friends, and having the first doughnuts that come off the line," said Susan Woods of Lakewood.
Krispy Kreme’s 15 varieties of hot doughnuts are made before the customers’ eyes on an assembly line capable of rolling out an estimated 2,400 sweet treats per hour. The store’s year-round walk-in hours will be from 5:30 a.m. to 11 p.m., with a drive-through window open 24 hours a day.
Woods, accompanied by daughters Ursula, 13, and Lindsay, 11, parked her car in the drive-through lane around 3 p.m. on July 22, ensuring her spot as first in line.
As early as Woods was, she was hours behind the first person to appear on the store’s walk-in line. That distinction will always belong to Toms River resident Laura Gilman, who waited on line, without sleeping, since 7:30 a.m. on July 22. For Gilman’s efforts came the spoils: a promotional Krispy Kreme gift basket and one dozen free doughnuts a week for a year.
Gilman once lived in the deep South territory of Alabama, where the Winston-Salem, N.C., franchise has long enjoyed a foothold. The New Jersey debut of the store that Gilman once took for granted was an event she wouldn’t miss.
"It’s not about a free doughnut. It’s about the excitement and the experience of Krispy Kreme being here," Gilman said. "My quality of life has just gone up immensely."
The store kept the party alive through the wee hours of the night by showing tapes of other store openings and videos rented from Blockbuster.
"They’ve been wonderful to us, providing refreshments, letting us use their facilities, and checking up on us now and then," said Kathleen Stone, of Lakewood. Stone was parked behind Woods in the drive-through lane with daughters Sarah, 13, and Laura, 9.
"They told us we treated them better than the Ritz-Carlton," said Rocco Fiorentino, president of Krispy Kreme area developer Freedom Rings, LLC.
For those counting, Gilman bought two-dozen glazed and two-dozen chocolate doughnuts. It was the first purchase in what promises to be big business throughout the summer and beyond.