One of the most popular names in the doughnut industry will now be available to Springfield residents for the first time. Krispy Kreme officially opened on Oct. 27 at 6 a.m. on West Monroe Street in Springfield.

The company originally opened in July of 1937 in North Carolina. Founder Vernon Rudolph bought the doughnut recipe from a French New Orleans chef and began making the doughnuts and selling them to grocery stores. And the rest is history, which can be further explored at http://www.krispykreme.com/about/Our-Story.

Krispy Kreme has had dedicated customers since its original opening. Loyal customers and doughnut lovers share their passion for the brand on its website, many of them stating Krispy Kreme has the “best” doughnuts of all. It seems some Springfield residents would agree. Eager customers lined up the day before the Springfield opening to register for a chance to win one dozen original glazed doughnuts every week for a year. Dedicated doughnut lovers were camped out in front of the store overnight in hopes of winning the delicious prize at the 6 a.m. opening.

According to an article in the State Journal Register, the chain planned on opening a Springfield location over a decade ago, but had to hold off because the expansion of the company slowed greatly. Now after years of waiting a Bloomington franchise owner has finally opened the long-anticipated Springfield location.

Despite the plethora of doughnut availability (Dunkin’ Donuts and Mel-o-Crème, among others) in Springfield, the projected outlook for Krispy Kreme is positive. The new location plans on employing 50 people to keep the franchise operating smoothly.

With this new location, residents have the opportunity to enjoy the fresh, warm doughnut decadency 24 hours a day because of the convenient drive thru window. If you are looking for a midnight snack, have no fear, Krispy Kreme is now here.