Krispy Kreme plans further expansion in Jamaica

 

Krispy Kreme plans to expand its local footprint.

 

The US-based doughnut company and coffeehouse chain opened its first location in Jamaica on the weekend.

 

Lisa Lake, CEO of Krispy Kreme's local franchise holder Restaurant Associates Limited, said the expansion should be realised before year-end. 

 

"This is just the first of many stores. This will be the signature theatre store in Kingston, but we plan to have two other stores in Kingston open by the end of this year, and then other places," she revealed. 

 

"Krispy Kreme is not just about retail stores. So we will distribute from here to anywhere that wants to come on board as a partner with our product. So that's gas stations, pharmacies, other retail locations. We want to make this joy easily accessible to everybody," said Ms Lake. 

 

The Restaurant Associates CEO said the new franchise has provided a range of jobs, with almost 100 people employed at launch. 

 

"What's unique about this store is that it's not just a retail shop. It's actually a factory. So what we have, this is a theatre store. It means that our production line is in the store. So anytime you see the red light on, that means that doughnuts are being made fresh at that very same moment. So that means that we have people in our team here that are part of the production team, we have people who are part of the decorating of the doughnuts, and then we have the retail team," she noted. 

 

She said many of the workers were already part of the Restaurant Associates group. 

 

While she did not share the value of the investment, Ms Lake indicated the location on Waterloo Road was one of the most expensive to establish in the group's portfolio.