By 1979, the chain had grown to 1,000 shops in the United States and abroad. Last year, the 5,000th shop opened. Krispy Kreme's roots date back to 1933 in Paducah, Ky., where founder Vernon Rudolph bought a doughnut shop - and with it, a secret doughnut recipe. Rudolph opened his first retail shop in Winston-Salem in 1937 and began opening more across the South. There are now more than 170 stores.
Doughnuts are big business.
What Krispy Kreme lacks in size, it makes up for in dedicated followers. Aficionados swear by the company's glazed doughnuts, particularly when they're available hot. When you bite into one it's like biting into a sugary cloud. Dawn Scartissi, a customer at a Dunkin' Donuts in Quincy, had heard all about Krispy Kreme, but had never been to one. I hear the doughnuts are supposed to be great.