DAYTONA BEACH — For decades, the telltale sign of a fresh batch of Krispy Kreme Doughnuts was a line curling through the shop’s front doors.
This week, that familiar ritual hasn’t disappeared; it’s simply rolled a few feet away where customers are now lining up in front of the brand’s doughnut trailer parked outside. The temporary mobile operation kicked off Aug. 3, while renovations take place inside the building, Krispy Kreme Supervisor Alyssia Cooley, 16, and Assistant Manager Jamayiah Cooley, 22, told The News-Journal.
“The building, I think, was built in the 1960s, and this is the original building. So, they’re remodeling — redoing the ceilings” in the rear production area, Jamayiah explained, “and redoing all the tile floors” in the front of house, leading to its temporary closure.
The 980 W. International Speedway Blvd. location, built in 1962, is expected to reopen Aug. 10, the Cooleys said.
“They’re redoing our AC, as well. A lot of Krispy Kremes have been getting a remodel — like the one in Melbourne,” Jamayiah said, which is currently listed as “temporarily closed” online and has been for more than a year.
While the work is ongoing, employees said they aren’t aware of any plans to alter the Daytona Beach building’s iconic exterior, with renovations primarily focused on the interior.
Since shifting gears to the Krispy Kreme trailer this week, which does not accept cash and serves a limited doughnut menu, business has taken on a different pace, the Cooleys said.
“It’s been pretty slow. We have people from our store that are in Winter Park right now, and they make the doughnuts overnight — like from 10 p.m. at night all the way until 5 a.m., because that’s the only timeslot they have to make our doughnuts for us,” Jamayiah explained.
“And then they ship them to us each morning,” Alyssia added, noting a team of no more than four has been running the trailer, arriving at 6 a.m. daily.
However, despite working under the same hours of operation, it’s hardly been the same Krispy Kreme experience, the Cooleys said.
“It’s not what people are usually used to, you know? But it’s the only way we can give it to them,” Alyssia said of the temporary trailer.
“… Usually, when we’re in the store, it’s not just serving doughnuts that we’re doing … In a shift that’s say, eight hours, we can produce 1,200 (doughnuts) an hour, so probably like 10,000” are pumped out on any given day, she continued.
“And we’re the ones putting all the doughnuts on the trays that get sent to RaceTrac — the gas stations,” Jamayiah added. “… It’s called processing, but we pack the doughnuts, put them on the RaceTrac trays, decorate them. Everything is done by us, and that’s why people love Krispy Kreme so much.”
The trailer’s condensed menu features about half a dozen flavors, including original glazed, chocolate iced kreme filled and chocolate sprinkles. Assorted 12-pack, six-pack and three-pack doughnuts are also available.
For information or to place an order, call 386-253-2508 or visit krispykreme.com.
— Helena Perray is the food and dining reporter for The Daytona Beach News-Journal. Follow her on Instagram, and support local journalism by subscribing.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Krispy Kreme goes mobile in Daytona Beach
Reporting by Helena Perray, Daytona Beach News-Journal / The Daytona Beach News-Journal
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By Helena Perray, Daytona Beach News-Journal | USA TODAY Network
