People waited in line for hours on Tuesday. But they weren't waiting to see the president of the United States, a movie star or a rock star. They were waiting to taste a Krispy Kreme doughnut.And Krispy Kreme's first day of operation in Oklahoma City went well, General Manager Scott Reed said."We sold between 80,000 and 90,000 doughnuts," Reed said. "Right now it's about a two-and-a-half hour wait for the drive-thru and an hour-and-a-half wait for walk up."Business is booming for Oklahoma's only Krispy Kreme franchise, which is located at 1024 S.W. 74th St. And with about 125 employees, the new Krispy Kreme store will not only boost Oklahoma City's sugar intake, but also its economy, Reed said."I think it's great for the economy, just from the amount of people that we employ. Plus the services we offer," Reed said. "We want to bring awareness to the doughnut."Krispy Kreme will spread awareness of the doughnut by opening more stores in Oklahoma. Brent Kennedy, one of the franchisees of the new Krispy Kreme doughnut shop, said another Oklahoma City store is scheduled to open by late September or early October. The store will be located at the intersection of Memorial Road and Penn Avenue, near Quail Springs Mall.Kennedy said two Krispy Kreme stores will definitely be built in Tulsa, and there is an 80-percent possibility of a Norman Krispy Kreme store, Kennedy said."We're expanding across the country right now," said Stan Parker, senior vice president of marketing for Krispy Kreme. "We really have been going into new markets based on when we find the right partner."It's more of a question of not geographically targeting an area, but targeting the right partners."Parker said Hal Smith, president of Hal Smith Restaurant Group and a franchisee of the Oklahoma City Krispy Kreme shop, will play a fundamental role in determining future Krispy Kreme locations in Oklahoma. Smith could not be reached for comment about the specifics of the possible Norman Krispy Kreme doughnut shop.Parker said Krispy Kreme has 185 stores in 30 states right now. He said the opening of new Krispy Kreme doughnut shops across the country is part of a national expansion effort that began in the mid 1990s.Because of Krispy Kreme's popularity, Fadalia Kim, zoology sophomore, said she thinks the doughnut shop would do well in Norman."It will be good because of the demand for them, but not for the traffic that's already horrible around here," Kim said.Marshall DeLong, international studies senior, said he doesn't eat doughnuts, but he wonders how a Norman Krispy Kreme would impact local businesses, particularly if the popular doughnut shop opened on or near campus.hello there & you too
