You’ve probably already seen it. It stands out like a sore thumb—the blazing green and red neon sign. You’ve seen the people, standing in line inside the store, hypnotized by the assembly line, which creates the object of their craving. They come from all around the Buffalo area to get themselves a small piece of bliss. You’ve seen the line of cars, some forty long, spilling out onto Niagara Falls Boulevard. It’s Krispy Kreme Doughnuts and it has taken Amherst by storm.

Krispy Kreme is a sixty-three year old business, which started in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. In 1933, Vernon Ruldoph, the founder of Krispy Kreme, bought a doughnut shop in Paducah, Kentucky from a French chef. He received the company’s assets, good will, and, most importantly, the rights to a secret yeast-raised doughnut recipe.

It wasn’t long before Rudolph and his partner decided to look for a larger market. They moved their operation to Nashville, Tennessee, where other members of the Rudolph family joined the business. Soon, shops were opened in Charleston, West Virginia and Atlanta, Georgia.

At first, the business was primarily delivery—selling doughnuts to local grocery stores. Then, during the early summer of 1937, Rudolph decided to leave Nashville to open his own doughnut shop. He took with him two business associates, a 1936 Pontiac, $200 in cash, doughnut-making equipment, the secret yeast recipe, and of course the name, Krispy Kreme Doughnuts.

After some disappointments in searching for a new location, Rudolph settled in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. During the late 1930’s, the city was developing into an economic hub in the Southeast, with diversified industries such as tobacco and textiles. “Why not doughnuts, too?” asked Rudolph.

The three partners used their last $25 to rent a building across from Salem College and Academy, in what is now called Historic Old Salem. With too little money left to buy ingredients, Rudolph convinced a local grocer to lend them what they needed in return for payment, once the first doughnuts were sold. Next, Rudolph needed a way to deliver the doughnuts, so he took out the back seat of the Pontiac and installed a delivery rack. On July 13, 1937, the first Krispy Kreme doughnuts were made and sold at the new Winston-Salem shop. A steady flow of customers followed. The demand was so great that Rudolph opened the shop for retail business by cutting a hole in the shop’s wall so he could sell the doughnuts. This innovation was the beginning of Krispy Kreme’s modern-day window service.

Staying primarily in the south for most of its formative years, Krispy Kreme has

recently moved north, after the franchise’s rights to develop in the north were acquired. That means, in addition to the one here in Tonawanda, you’ll be seeing stores in Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, and Albany, as well as the six locations that are already in New York City.

Hey, that’s great. But if you’re anything like me, you’ve probably found yourself wondering about this place, albeit a passing wonder. “How the hell could this place be so popular? It’s just a friggin’ doughnut shop!” Indeed, it is a doughnut shop. It just happens to be one of, if not, the best. Combined with its aesthetic appeal, which is a much-needed addition to the drab Niagara Falls Blvd. scenery, the doughnuts are incredible. Krispy Kreme sells all kinds of doughnuts, from their famous original glazed to cinnamon apple-filled. Essentially, Krispy Kreme has something for everyone.

I must admit, I was a bit skeptical before I had actually tasted a Krispy Kreme. I didn’t think there was anything worth waiting for up to a half-hour during the day, and an hour and a half at night. However, once I got my hands on one of the original glazed, I was converted. The original glazed, which are made fresh and served hot constantly by a large conveyor-belt machine, melt in your mouth. Really! You owe it to yourself to at least try one original glazed, and try it while it’s hot.

Krispy Kreme’s Director of Operations, Patrick Constatino, has his

own theories on why the business is so popular—not just here, but nationwide. “It’s a combination of the product, which is an unbelievable product, especially the hot original glazed doughnuts. It’s the whole atmosphere of the store, of watching the doughnut-making machine roll them out, it has the old time bakery look and feel to it.”

He’s not just blowing yeast up your doughnut hole. Many residents feel the same way. “Well,” said Ralph Alexia, a 22 year old student, “it’s one of the few places open 24-hours a day around here. Which definitely gives it some appeal, especially at night. Plus, the doughnuts are great.”

Shelly Donahue, a 19-year-old Psychology major, feels the same way. “The best part for me is the price. You can get two dozen doughnuts for nine bucks. That’s great. All I need is three or four of my friends to chip in maybe two dollars, and we all eat.”

I thought that the madness surrounding Krispy Kreme would slack off after a few days. But it hasn’t; and it doesn’t show any signs of slowing down. Krispy Kreme has carved itself a little place in the hearts of Amherst and Tonawanda residents, and is sure to stay for years to come.