Singapore's first Krispy Kreme store opens to queuing doughnut fans
Singapore's first Krispy Kreme outlet opened at Tangs on Saturday morning to fanfare and more than 200 doughnut fans.
The first in queue walked away with a year's weekly supply of a dozen original glazed doughnuts, the second a six-months' supply and the third a three-months' supply.
The third-prize winner, secondary 3 student at CHIJ Katong Convent, who wanted to be known as Sunnie Genevieve, told Yahoo Singapore she plans to collect her weekly dozen doughnuts and visit residents in Marine Terrace and Circuit Road to distribute them.
"I think the queue (overnight) was worth it. I get doughnuts for people: friends, my sisters, people I don't even know," she said. "I'm going to give them to elderly and children who might not get to enjoy Krispy Kremes -- I've got some now, so I think it's okay to give to people; it's better to give than to receive."
In first place was IT consultant Weily, who started queuing for Krispy Kremes outside the shopping centre at 11:42am on Friday.
He told Yahoo Singapore he was a Krispy Kreme fan and had taken leave from work specially so he could be the first in Singapore to purchase doughnuts from its first outlet in the city-state.
"The free doughnuts are an added bonus, I guess!" he said, adding he will share his 52 weekly dozens with his neighbours, friends and coworkers.
Coming in second was 12-year-old Faith Lee, who after finishing her primary school leaving examinations decided queuing up would be a good "post-PSLE time-killing activity".
She also convinced her mother to accompany her through the night, even pitching a tent for comfort while sleeping.
"I liked Krispy Kreme doughnuts the most out of all the other brands I tried before," she told Yahoo Singapore on Friday evening while in queue. "So since there were free doughnuts, why not?"
Although there were few more than 10 people in queue through the night overnight, queuer Kelvin Tay said the weather was quite humid and hot, and he ended up staying awake all night.
"One of the boys in queue even suffered a nosebleed, and had to be attended to by medical staff on hand," said the 22-year-old Higher NITEC student. "But it was worth it! It's the best doughnut I had when I visited America two years ago, and it tastes exactly the same as it did there."
Queue numbers quickly picked up after 7am, however, when organisers decided to award the first 100 in queue with a month's supply (four dozens) of free doughnuts.
Systems analyst Abraham Lapuz, 30, was the lucky 100th person in line who travelled over to join the queue after finishing the night shift at Suntec City.
"It's really lucky because my plan was just to buy a dozen, and now I'm entitled a month's supply! I'll share it with my office mates and friends," he said.
In Singapore for the store's opening was Krispy Kreme International president Jeff Welch, who said he was pleased with the turnout of slightly more than 200 people, despite organisers preparing themselves for as many as 500 fans.
"We've had enthusiastic acceptance for our products throughout Asia," he said. Asked about the very generous manner in which the doughnut brand has marketed its opening -- through the 100,000 doughnut drop it has done at various large companies -- he said trying the doughnuts is the best way for people to know whether or not they should buy them.
"Everybody asks why we took so long to come to Singapore, but save the best for last, how about that?" he added.
