I Want My Krispy Kreme!

There are no Krispy Kreme Doughnuts shops in Charlotte and I want to know why. There's one in Matthews and one in Gastonia, according to the store locator on its website, but neither of those are close to where I live.

I need this.

The reason I'm particularly outraged at this moment is because today is National Doughnut Day. And to honor it, Krispy Kreme is giving away free doughnuts all day. Can I enjoy it? No!

What's even more disheartening is that Krispy Kreme is headquartered in Winston-Salem and while there are several locations in North Carolina (and about 450 worldwide), there are none in the home state's largest and most thriving city. I find that completely unacceptable. And those little Krispy Kreme doughnut stands that you find in gas stations and grocery stores don't count. I need a full-fledged doughnut shop, the one that turns on the "Hot" light. K.K. fans know what I'm talking about.

I need these.

Meanwhile, there are about a dozen Dunkin Donuts around here. Fan I am not. Dunkin has great coffee, but the doughnuts pale in comparison to my Krispy. A little over a year ago I wrote a story that profiled the owner of the Dunkin Donuts in uptown, the two-story one on Graham Street. He's from the North (Boston or New York, but I don't remember exactly) and he moved to Charlotte specifically to open a few Dunkins in uptown. He said when he was doing franchise research he was struck that there were no Dunkin Donuts in uptown, despite all of the growth of businesses, condos, and people the area was experiencing. So he opened the one on Graham, then one in the arena, and I think he has plans for at least one more.

See, for that Northerner, Dunkins is a big deal. He said so. And he said it's all about the coffee, while also acknowledging that he realized that Southerners are more about the doughnuts. He said he felt he could convert some of them but more importantly he would tap into the large number of Yankees who live here. Well, I'm a Southern boy and I want Krispy Kreme. Just give me the glazed and I'm happy.

I need a Krispy Kreme to open here before the end of the year. I'm serious. I love Charlotte but this is affecting my quality of life. To get a store going I might just find myself an investor, or start an online petition, or write my local congressman.