Hot Doughnuts Now!
The red and green neon sign that signals when fresh Krispy Kreme doughnuts are rolling off the conveyor belt flashed on for the first time in Maryland yesterday at the insane hour of 5: 30 a.m., and hundreds heeded the call.
The scent -- and reputation -- of glazed doughnuts wafted around the stretch of Belair Road in Fullerton and around the beltway, drawing in doughnut-lovers and causing pre-dawn gridlock in the parking lot and the drive-through lane.
"These are worth it," said Marlene Fraser, the first customer of the inaugural Krispy Kreme doughnut shop in Maryland. "They melt in your mouth, especially when they are hot."
The Towson resident ended her workday at the Mass Transit Administration depot in Highlandtown and headed straight for Krispy Kreme. She waited outside in her van for about 1 1/2 hours until the store lights came on.
Other devout Krispy Kreme fans joined her, making it a full house soon after the doors were unlocked.
Until recently, only those who lived or traveled through the South knew the pleasures of Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, which was established in 1937. Its cult following increased dramatically as the privately held, Winston-Salem, N.C., company began offering franchises in 1995.
The Belair Road shop is owned by Krispy Kreme Doughnuts of Maryland LLC, a partnership of Gary Edwards and Harry G. Pappas Jr., who are both Burger King franchisees, and Heritage Properties, a development company.
Krispy Kreme franchises cost about $1 million to start up. About 35 have opened in the past three years.
The partnership has exclusive rights to develop shops in Maryland and must develop nine more within four years. The next shop -- most likely along the York Road corridor -- could open in March. The company will then expand to Ritchie #F Highway and Security Boulevard, and to outlying areas such as Salisbury and Cecil County, Edwards said.
Before the Belair Road shop opened, the closest Krispy Kreme outlets were in Wilmington, Del., and Alexandria, Va.
With 135 shops in 20 states, Krispy Kreme sells 3 million doughnuts a day and more than 1.3 billion a year. The most famous flavor is the original glazed. Chocolate iced creme-filled is the runner-up, but there are 13 other varieties -- from crullers to doughnuts filled with lemon and custard.
Yesterday, customers sat around tables in the shop eating doughnuts and greeting daylight. Some swapped trivia, such as: It takes seven seconds -- not six or eight -- in a
