After months of holding out, Krispy Kreme has finally put a date on the calendar for the opening of its sprawling Times Square flagship store. On September 15, the new store — located at 1601 Broadway, at West 48th Street — will flip the switch on the world’s largest hot light, the company’s signal that fresh doughnuts are ready for eating.
Unlike the doughnut chain’s other New York City outposts, the Times Square location has lots of bells and whistles, including a glaze waterfall and a production line capable of making close to 400 dozen doughnuts per hour. There will also be a 24-hour walk-up window, where customers can order boxes of Krispy Kreme doughnuts for takeout.
Despite tourism numbers still being down in New York City, Krispy Kreme expects the new flagship store to be the chain’s busiest location among its roughly 1,400 stores internationally. The 48th Street Krispy Kreme was originally slated to open in May, though the novel coronavirus pandemic delayed those plans.
The new store features a massive wraparound Krispy Kreme LED screen covering the building; in the day, it looks like the white top of a donut box. At night, it turns black with a neon New York City skyline filling the space. As mentioned, this store will be home to the LARGEST hot and ready light in the world, AND it will be open 24/7.
Inside the 4,500-square-foot store, visitors are be able to watch the donut-making process from start to finish. “Stadium style seating” overlooks bakers mixing ingredients and placing donuts on the delivery line to pass under the glaze waterfall.
Earlier this year, the doughnut chain quietly opened four additional storefronts in New York City and now has locations in Harlem, the Bronx, Midtown, the Financial District, and inside Penn Station. By the end of the year, Krispy Kreme plans to have eight locations in New York City with stores previously planned for the Upper West Side.
