Krispy Kreme rolls out store site

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Krispy Kreme franchise owner Jimmy Strickland's much anticipated site location announcement officially arrived May 2. And the winner is: southwest Springfield. |ret||ret||tab|

Specifically, it will go in the southwest corner of the former Consumer's grocery store parking lot at Campbell Avenue and Primrose Street. The 5,000-square-foot store will be constructed next to Martin's Floral, Strickland said. He plans to break ground June 1.|ret||ret||tab|

Realtor Dave Murray of R.B. Murray Company assisted Strickland in the site selection.|ret||ret||tab|

Strickland has chosen Springfield architects Butler Rosenbury & Partners Inc. for the design work. A general contractor has not yet been selected, he said, but it also will be a local company. Noble & Associates Inc. will handle all public relations and marketing.|ret||ret||tab|

Also, the first Springfield Krispy Kreme employee is on board, Strickland added. Mike Parker, who has 21 years experience as an area supervisor with McDonald's, was named market manager March 1.|ret||ret||tab|

"I feel like we have a great name, a great brand, a great product, and now we're starting to get great people," Strickland said. "It comes down to good people. (Parker) is the first member of our team there, and we could not have found a better person."|ret||ret||tab|

With such plans in place, thoughts for a second Krispy Kreme in Springfield have already crossed Strickland's mind. In fact, a second store possibility weighed in during the site selection of the first.|ret||ret||tab|

"When and if we get ready to look for a second location, that particular piece of dirt will give us a lot of other opportunities to go either east or north should things just go gangbusters," he said. "That was certainly one of the considerations."|ret||ret||tab|

Also among development opportunities are the Joplin and Branson areas. Strickland owns the franchise rights to the Springfield metropolitan area that includes those cities. There are 350,000 people in this market, he said.|ret||ret||tab|

"That's another good vehicle and opportunity that is down the road for us," he said. "As we start to build our team there and start the growth process it certainly could get very exciting."|ret||ret||tab|

The excitement has been brewing for Strickland since 1996, when he opened his first store. He actually signed on for a franchise in 1994 when the company began issuing the rights.|ret||ret||tab|

"I was on the front end of that and have just seen the tremendous explosion that has happened in the last five to six years," Strickland said. "I am right now the oldest existing franchisee Krispy Kreme has. It's been unbelievable."|ret||ret||tab|

According to a Krispy Kreme fact sheet, the company's net income has more than quadrupled over the last three fiscal years: from $5,956 in 2000 to $26,378 this year. Also, system-wide sales reached an all-time high this year of $621,665.|ret||ret||tab|

Krispy Kreme produces approximately five million doughnuts a day and more than two billion doughnuts a year. There are more than 215 stores in 33 states and Canada.|ret||ret||tab|

Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Inc. is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol KKD.[[In-content Ad]]