Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Inc. (Winston-Salem, N.C.) has announced it will open its first factory store in Europe, in the London department store Harrods of Knightsbridge, in October 2003.
It will be the first of 25 stores that Krispy Kreme plans to open over a five-year period in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland.
“This is a landmark event in Krispy Kreme's history,” said Scott Livengood, Krispy Kreme's chairman, president and ceo. “This marks our second store outside of North America, and our first in Europe. Harrods is an icon in the retail industry.”
“The level of excitement the announcement has already generated around London suggests that the partnership of these two brands will be a huge success,” said Harrods corporate communications director Peter Willasey.
Accessible through the Harrods Food Hall, Krispy Kreme will also have its own designated street entrance. It will include a Krispy Kreme doughnut-making theater, allowing customers to see the doughnuts being made from start to finish. The store also will feature Krispy Kreme's traditional “Hot Doughnuts Now” sign, which when illuminated, announces to customers that Krispy Kreme's signature Hot Original Glazed doughnuts are being made.