Friday, May 17, 2013

Sweeeet! Doraville Heating Up with Planned Krispy Kreme Opening

Krispy Kreme is bringing their doughnuts to Doraville. 

Winston-Salem, North Carolina based Krispy Kreme will soon begin construction on a new bakery cafe location on Buford Highway in Doraville Plaza.  The new cafe will replace what was originally built as a Long John Silver's restaurant, but had more recently housed a series of independent eateries. 

Krispy Kreme will be located adjacent to an existing Chick-fil-A restaurant and just south of the upcoming McDonald's restaurant within the same center, anchored by a Burlington Coat Factory.  Less than a mile south of the Burlington center, a new Zaxby's is being built in place of French's Boots, originally a Krystal. 

Krispy Kreme pales in comparison in both size and sales to that of larger rival Dunkin' Donuts and offers a far more simple menu.  Dunkin' has significantly diversified their menu, adding new sandwiches, hot, cold and frozen beverages as well as expanded their baked goods offerings.  Krispy Kreme, on the other hand, features a menu almost entirely dedicated to coffee and doughnuts. 

Krispy Kreme started in Winston-Salem in 1937, and went public on 2000.  Leading up to company's IPO, Krispy Kreme was experiencing sales increases and seeing growing interest in their classic doughnuts.  In the months and years that followed, the stock price and public sentiment for the company nosedived with sales plummeting and the stock dropping from its high of $50 in 2003 to as low as $1.29 in 2009.  The stock has rebounded as of late and today trades at about $13 a share, up nearly 40% this year. 

New York based Crumbs Bake Shop is currently going through a similar sales and stock slump as Krispy Kreme did, but its outlook on the future remains hazy.  Crumbs went public in 2011, and by mid 2011, reached what would be its all time high of more than $13 a share.  This year the stock has fallen nearly 60% and this week traded as low as $1.15.  The company announced plans to open as many as eight locations in Atlanta last year but has thus far opened none. 

During the late 90s and early 2000s, Krispy Kreme opened a number of new locations including one that opened at Buckhead Exchange on Peachtree and another in an outparcel of Akers Mill on Cobb Parkway.  A large portion of the former Buckhead location is now home Nancy's Pizza, while the outparcel at Akers Mill recently opened as a Zoës Kitchen.

Currently operating Krispy Kreme locations in metro Atlanta include their popular Ponce de Leon Avenue spot in midtown, as well as locations in Roswell and Buford and assorted other suburban cities. 

Where do you go for doughnuts in Atlanta?  Will the new QuikTrip just inside the perimeter and the upcoming Raceway less than a mile from the Krispy Kreme hurt their business?  What other restaurant would you like to see open along Buford Highway?  Please share your thoughts below. 

17 comments:

Disneypal said...

I am so happy to see this area of town started to return to what it once was. I would love to see a good retail and/or grocery store move into the old K-Mart location (like Walmart, Target, Publix etc)

I am pleased with the new QT (perfect location for me) and happy to see that a new McDs, Zaxby's and Krispy Kreme are on the way.

Hopefully, this section of Buford Hwy will continue with being revilitized.

mindspringyahoo said...

I'll actually stop in at the KK sometime. I drive/cut through this area frequently. Isn't Dekalb County hard up for money? I drive by what-should-be-prime property on Flowers rd, just otp, where the county parks buses. They should sell it, someone should build a high rise there, and it would also would need a pedestrian bridge over 285 to the Marta station, and another one for crossing over the marta tracks and getting to the Buhi Farmer's market. To me, that would be a good setup, close to the train, very close to good diverse restaurants and the Buhi market.

Doraville seems like it has a lot of potential, but not the marketing/urban planning/media to give it the push it needs. It's hip and cool to live a gritty loft former industrial zone in old 4th ward, but for some reason not so hip to live near/amongst a lot of working class Latinos in another gritty industrial type area. Just my 2 cents.

Anonymous said...

Dont forget KK is still in the West End! Technically as close to downtown as dowtown!!

Anonymous said...

Glad to see investment in the BH area north of 285. I hope the patronage will grow at a pace to support so many options comming online. For years now, Chic-fil-a has been about the only consistent dining option with good food and good service (even if is only counter service).

There was a Krispy Kreme on Buford Hwy inside I-285 until about the early '80s. It was at the northeast corner of BH at Shallowford Rd. across from BP. The building is empty again, recently occupied by a check cashing or title loan business. Just south, in the block between Shallowford and Cham Tucker, Zayre (discount store) was the original business where the flea market currently operates. The block farther south of Cham-Tucker was Bill Spreen Toyota. And get this - one of the very first Mellow Mushrooms was located along there facing BH across from LaVenture Drive (late 70s). I do not remember when the MM left that area. There were lots of other memorable businesses in that area that probably would have no meaning for most people these days.

Anonymous10:25

Anonymous said...

@mindspringyahoo - This is a response for your comment regarding the Krispy Kreme donuts article.

On what planet do you live on? That area is predominately Caucasian as well. Go to a City Hall meeting - I can assure you that the majority of the residents are White.

By the way, the O4W area is full of vagrants. Doraville is NOT a crazy, drugged out place. This is not a high-rise environment. I would describe it as slow, relaxing, SUBURBS. Vagrants need not apply.

@Anonymous 10: 25 - Most residents are thankful for the history that you've given us. Have you thought about giving a lecture about the history in the library? Or maybe publish an article in The Champion?

Anonymous said...

Doraville is predominantly White. For example, note the neo-Classical and Greek Revival architecture based on the City Hall and Police Station. The white columns are based upon the Southern U.S.'s desire for a "plantation type" building (meaning the style mimicks many of the South's plantations and wealthy mansions). The city is decidedly Republican, with some residents on the Liberal level.

mindspringyahoo said...

Anonymous 6:42,

According to wikipedia, Doraville is mostly non-white (with whites comprising 46% and Latinos 43%).

Mind you, I find Latinos to be mostly good natured and hard working--not like the vagrants in O4W. My point is that the 'hip and happening' loft-dwellers that are frequently featured in local media tend not to want to live amongst working class Latinos and Asians, but for some bizarre reason don't mind living among downtown vagrants. Makes no sense to me.

You mention that Doraville is not a high-rise environment. Once upon a time, neither was the Perimeter mall area. Chamblee has condos near the marta station, it seems that Doraville should consider doing the same. Doraville marta, unlike Chamblee's, is walking distance to the BuHi dining scene. If nice condos existed near the Doraville marta (be they on the Flowers Road site or just ITP), I think that they would hold quite a bit of appeal to professionals that want/need quick marta access, but also want quick access to the ethnic restaurant scene.

Unknown said...

I love and miss kk!
they dont have one here in nyc! ;'(
follow back love

xoxo moorehisstyle.com

Anonymous said...

I won't argue on the merits of the city with you but I'll put in my last two cents.

I believe that Doraville is a small city, not a mid-size or large city. I think that is a significant difference because Atlanta is a major metropolis. While the city can attract more residents, there should be a need for more businesses and pedestrian friendly areas (walking to Buford Highway, cross signals, etc.)

Well, that's just my opinion.

Anonymous said...

Whatever goes in the old Kmart building on Buford Hwy, will be colossal and bring revenue to the area. That's too much space for a non factor, Kmart was sort of a presence on Buford. Hopefully, it will be something like a kohl's department store, etc

Unknown said...

So excited about this! I found your blog looking for more info on the new KK I saw being constructed on Buford Hwy but I stayed and read through 4 more back pages-- you have a new follower!

Atlantan99 said...

@Jerrica,

Thanks for the kind words, great to hear you found this article helpful. Thanks for continued readership.

Anonymous said...

Do we know when it will open?

Anonymous said...

Do we know when it will open?

Atlantan99 said...

@Anon RE" opening,

No, I'm sadly not aware of an expected opening. Hope to find out soon.

Thanks for reading!

Anonymous said...

Where can you apply to work at krispy kreme ?

Anonymous said...

Mind spring,

As a native ATLien, I would like to know what you mean by Atlanta" vagrants". I'm hoping you mean just that. ZIm hoping I'm just wrong, but why do my racial senses imply that you mean Black people/poor people.

Like I just mentioned, I hope that I'm very wrong and even if I were, the idea that you imply that native Atlantans are vagrants. I really don't appreciated your elitism and possible racism you mention on your post. I really don't appreciate that implication. I'm not homeless and I have a home and if you know anything about ATL you know what you said is a bald face lie. I guess you forget about Midtown, Uptown.How many vagrants do you see there.

You may not like like living among vagrants *cough*..maybe poor people ,Black people or both but I would rather live around open minded educated people than bigots like you.Let's hope that you never lose your job. What's to say that fate won't have you live among" vagrants"?

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