A Latte to Learn

It's funny. I remember Krispy Kreme, like White Castle, as a place in the south where you could go to for a 24-hour snack. A clean, 'blue collar' place - not a chichi vogue place to go. It was functional. You wanted a donut; they were hot and fresh (and delicious). I specifically remember a big piece of their business was selling wholesale to school groups for fundraisers - cheerleaders would sell donuts to raise money for new uniforms or for bus trips to the state championship.

Krispy Kreme's rise to popularity has been interesting to me. I lived in NYC when the first KK opened. It was so popular it was as if New Yorker's invented KK themselves.

So while this fresh new start has been interesting to experience... it seems they're getting stale already.

Now I'm going to share one experience, at one location, at one moment in time (but still)...

I went to KK this weekend for a donut and coffee... Instead of a drip coffee, I thought I'd check out their espresso. After all, I understand that they've added that to their mix to be more competitive in the espresso market. I ordered their latte with their original Kreme flavoring... Evidently they offer four kinds of milk - nonfat/skim, 2%, whole milk and their original Kreme flavored milk.

After I place my order, the woman on the register asked a gal on the production line something about my drink. They asked another gal to help. She went to the espresso machine and was flipping through some pages – to find a recipe and/or instructions on how to make my drink.

The register gal returned and said that "We can’t make it right now because the girl who makes the espresso wasn’t there." Wow. No one else has been trained to make espresso beverages? (In Seattle?)

Of course, it was neat seeing the production thru the window… and I got a free donut. But, should they stick at what they're good at? Great donuts and fresh coffee?

Comments

[Michele Miller]

I with you, Paul. I used to walk through the Port Authority bus station at 5:30 each weekday morning on my way to the gym and was HAUNTED by the smell of Krispy Kremes wafting from their tiny counterfront store. No need for espressos, lattes, or macchiatos. Coffee and donut as the ultimate comfort food - what a wonderful focus to have had as a marketing model, and what a shame that they forgot about it.

[Akshay Buddiga]

Paul, I nearly fainted seeing 'chichi' spelled 'she she' in your post. But I already fainted today and fainting twice in one day is not becoming of a spelling prodigy.

your friend,

Akshay

[Paul from Brand Autopsy]

Thanx Askshay.

Brand Exhortatory Paul