Winston-Salem in Forsyth County, North Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)

Commemorating the Original Krispy Kreme Doughnut Shop

Original Krispy Kreme Doughnut Shop Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), April 23, 2021

1. Original Krispy Kreme Doughnut Shop Marker

Inscription. Founded by Vernon Rudolph
July 13, 1937
534 South Main Street
Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Erected 2012 by Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Inc.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Industry & Commerce. A significant historical date for this entry is July 13, 1937.

Location. 36° 5.263′ N, 80° 14.533′ W. Marker is in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, in Forsyth County. It is on Main Street just north of Academy Street, on the left when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 534 S Main St, Winston Salem NC 27101, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in North Carolina’s Piedmont

and specifically in Piedmont Triad.

It is also in the American South

and specifically in the Upper South.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the original Thirteen Colonies,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers

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are within walking distance of this marker: Street Grade (within shouting distance of this marker); Garden on the Triebel Lot (within shouting distance of this marker); Single Brothers' Diaconie (within shouting distance of this marker); Old Salem Historic District (within shouting distance of this marker); The Salem Campus (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); First Official 4th of July Celebration in the United States (about 300 feet away); Home Moravian Church (about 300 feet away); Rt. Rev. Edw. Rondthaler, D.D. (about 300 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Winston-Salem.

Regarding Commemorating the Original Krispy Kreme Doughnut Shop. Krispy Kreme was founded in 1937 by Vernon Rudolph, who bought a yeast-raised recipe from a New Orleans chef, and rented space in a small warehouse once located here. He first supplied his doughnuts to nearby supermarkets, but as the bakery's enticing aroma attracted people to the door, he decided to make a hole in the wall and sell hot doughnuts to customers directly.
The flagship store has since relocated across town to Stratford Road.

By the 1960s, Krispy

Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), April 23, 2021

2. Original Krispy Kreme Doughnut Shop Marker

Kreme was known throughout the Southeast. An ambitious expansion as a public company, from 2000 to 2016, ultimately proved unprofitable. Analysts suggested that the chain expanded too rapidly after the IPO. Beginning in December 2005, unprofitable stores were closed to avoid bankruptcy.

Also see . . . History of Krispy Creme. (Submitted on March 13, 2022.)

Credits. This page was last revised on December 31, 2025. It was originally submitted on April 27, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 1,628 times since then and 140 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on April 27, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.