Massachusetts Craves Another Crack at Krispy Kreme

Massachusetts is Dunkin’ territory. While other parts of the country waited years to see a pink and orange logo show up in their city or town, most of us here in Massachusetts have grown up with Dunkin’ Donuts.

The mega brand started back in the 1950s right here in Quincy, Massachusetts and has become one of the most successful coffee and donut chains in the world.

The motto "America Runs on Dunkin’" wasn't something ad executives had to think too much about; it was just facts.

However, there's nothing like a Krispy Kreme donut.

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This past weekend I was in Connecticut and passed a Krispy Kreme location. It's been years since I've had a Krispy Kreme, so we stopped to grab one (or six) of their famous glazed donuts.

With the first bite, I remembered what all the hype was about and realized that the simple baked good is in a league all its own.

There are currently no Krispy Kreme locations in either Massachusetts nor Rhode Island, making these famous donuts impossible to get unless you take the hour-long drive out to Connecticut.

Local PTO organizations in Somerset realized how crazy people were for the treats and saw it as an opportunity to raise money for their students. Multiple Somerset PTO groups held Krispy Kreme fundraisers over the past several years and they were a big hit.

Between pre-orders and same-day sales, these schools have made thousands of dollars off the sales of the classic donuts. Former South Elementary School president Connie Weida said her school fundraiser went extremely well.

"We had people buying multiple dozens from us,” she said.

As popular as the donuts are, could Krispy Kreme ever really compete in Massachusetts?

Despite starting over 10 years before Dunkin’ in 1938, Krispy Kreme hasn't seen the same kind of success as the Massachusetts-based coffee giant. Dunkin’ is serving coffee at over 10,000 spots across the country, a brand expansion that has been wildly successful, while the smaller Krispy Kreme has just over 1,000 locations nationwide.

Despite the thousand or so locations, Krispy Kreme has yet to really take hold in Massachusetts or Rhode Island – locations in Medford, Dedham and Cranston closed up shop after about four years. Perhaps the company understands that this portion of the New England turf is off limits, but at least more try at a Krispy Kreme location in Massachusetts is long overdue.

Don't be scared, Krispy Kreme. We don't bite.

Fun fact: Krispy Kreme acquired a smaller company, Insomnia Cookies, a well-known bakery found often close to college campuses delivering hot, fresh cookies late at night. They now have over 250 locations across the country.