DALTON, Ga. – The opening of a new doughnut shop became a big event in this small town.
More than 100 people waited Monday night and Tuesday morning in anticipation of the 6 a.m. opening Tuesday of the city’s first Krispy Kreme. The 2,671-square-foot doughnut shop, built on the site of a former Wendy’s restaurant at 1500 W. Walnut Ave., attracting hundreds of Dalton area residents on the first day of operation.
Some set up tents and waited through drizzling rain for the chance to get free doughnuts for a year. Krispy Kreme offered a year of free doughnuts to the first 100 people in line. The first person in line got one dozen glazed doughnuts for free every week for a year; the next 99 people in line got one dozen glazed doughnuts for free every month for a year. The next 50 guests got a free T-shirt.
Timothy Hooper was first in line, arriving at 6:30 p.m. Sunday. He spent the night with friends Austin Lancing, Jayson Smith and Brannon Smith. They slept in a tent and cooked pancakes and sausage for breakfast Monday morning.
Lancing was technically the No. 2 customer, but the friends plan to pool their free doughnuts.
“We couldn’t decide who would get the weekly doughnuts, so we decided to put our doughnuts together, and we’ll get five dozen a month,” Hooper said. “Pretty good.”
The Smith brothers were No. 3 and No. 4 in line.
The doughnut fans gathered at Krispy Kreme got live music and a table of hats and props for fun photos.
“We wanted it to be fun for everybody,” said Krispy Kreme employee Jennifer Alejo, adding that she’s thrilled to have secured a job at the new doughnut store.
Enrique Govea arrived at 3:30 p.m. Monday and claimed a spot in the 50s.
“Usually, I pay to go camping,” he said. “This time, they’re giving me something for free to camp. Free doughnuts don’t hurt.”
In addition to those who spent the night on the concrete sidewalk in front of the store (the newly planted sod was too wet and muddy), were friends and family members who just came to lend moral support to the campers.
“I just came to socialize,” said Alexis Billings of Dalton. “I have a ton of friends camping and I brought coffee. I’m not even gonna try to come (Tuesday). It’ll be crazy.”
Jose Bibiano, a senior at Southeast Whitfield County High School who slept at the new Krispy Kreme overnight, planned to take his free doughnuts to school Tuesday morning.
The new Dalton Krispy Kreme is the sixth location in Georgia but the first in the Northwest part of the Peach State. The Winston-Salem, N.C.-based chain, which operates more than 1,000 company and franchise doughnut shops around the globe, has 11 locations in Tennessee, including one on Brainerd Road in Chattanooga.
The company began in 1937 and now operates in 24 countries around the world.