Things getting Krispy off Kenaston Famed American doughnut shop opening its first local location By: Eva Wasney Posted: 5:36 PM CDT Friday, Jun. 14, 2024

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 14/06/2024 (497 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Excited children, local influencers and long-suffering Krispy Kreme fans gathered in Winnipeg’s “Little America” neighbourhood Thursday for a sneak peek at the company’s first location in the Canadian Prairies.

The green-and-white doughnut shop is at 465 Sterling Lyon Pkwy., a high-visibility corner lot along Kenaston Boulevard chosen with a purpose.

“When we open next week, there’ll be a big deal of turning the Hot Light on,” general manager Larry Geraghty says of the large lighted sign on the exterior of the building that indicates hot doughnuts fresh from the fryer are available.

“It’s our little bat symbol to tell anyone who’s driving around town that if they pull in they’re going to get a hot dozen.”

Krispy Kreme’s 4,600-square-foot Winnipeg location opens to the public on Tuesday and has the capacity to churn out about 50,000 doughnuts a day, says Geraghty.

The beloved American doughnut brand opened its first Canadian store in Mississauga, Ont., in 2001 and now has 15 franchise locations across the country.

“Everybody’s making an effort to get over here, Winnipeg is an incredible market,” Geraghty says, pointing to other nearby American chains — such as Popeyes and IHOP — that have popped up in the Seasons of Tuxedo area in recent years.

Krispy Kreme’s foray into Winnipeg has started with a high-volume production plant designed to support other stores if the company expands elsewhere in the region.

The facility offers drive-thru and counter service. There’s a giant faux doughnut covered in sprinkles and pink frosting outside, primed for photo-ops.

Inside, customers can watch doughnuts trundle along the production line — from the proofer to the deep fryer and under an icing waterfall — in an area dubbed the “Doughnut Theatre.”

During Thursday’s media event, visitors were invited to don branded paper hats for a tour of the bustling kitchen led by Ontario district manager George Upadhyaya.

Upadhyaya travelled from his home turf in Mississauga — “the busiest doughnut-manufacturing store on the planet,” he says — to lend his expertise to Winnipeg’s opening team, which includes 100 staff members working in shifts of 25 people at a time.

“Getting the line and all the equipment set up over here, that’s the most time-consuming and complex process,” he says.

The doughnut dough is made on site in industrial mixers. Staff then cut the rings, which spend an hour rising in a vertical proofer that looks like a slow-moving carnival ride.

Next, they’re dumped into a vat of burbling oil and fried for 55 seconds per side before glazing.

The machinery can pump out 200 dozen doughnuts an hour.

Krispy Kreme’s menu includes hot and cold beverages and a variety of iced, glazed and filled doughnuts. Original glazed is Upadhyaya’s favourite.

“Right off the line, it will melt in your mouth,” he says, doling out finished doughnuts to guests.

The rings are light as air and doused in a light but sweet vanilla-y glaze. They’re good at room temperature, but eaten warm, straight from the fryer, they’re a hype-worthy delight. The Hot Light is a stroke of marketing genius.

Krispy Kreme Winnipeg is open seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. beginning June 18.

eva.wasney@winnipegfreepress.com

X: @evawasney