We attend the grand opening of the very first Krispy Kreme store in Hokkaido

More than 200 people lined up to be the first ever to get their doughnut fix on Japan’s northernmost island.

It was 12 years ago when American doughnut company and coffeehouse chain Krispy Kreme landed in Japan. Their very first store, at Shinjuku Southern Terrace, sadly closed recently, but the company is continuing to expand to other locations around the country, with Hokkaido receiving its first-ever Krispy Kreme store on Friday.

▼ The new Krispy Kreme is located just 10 minutes away from New Chitose Airport by car, at Chitose Outlet Mall Rera.

Our Japanese-language reporter K. Nagahashi arrived bright and early at the outlet mall for the grand opening of the new Krispy Kreme, and he was happy to find the area appeared to be relatively deserted and crowd-free.

All the shops were yet to open, but as he approached the doughnut store location, he could sense some movement and activity in the area.

And that’s when he realised he wasn’t the only one who’d come to get a taste of Krispy Kreme.

According to one of the staff in charge of crowd control, there were approximately 200-300 people waiting in line.

K had arrived ten minutes before the store’s scheduled 10:00 a.m. opening time, but the people ahead of him in line must’ve arrived hours earlier.

Hokkaido’s first-ever Krispy Kreme store opening was a big event, with local media interviewing people in line and cameras recording the scene for TV news.

One of the highlights of K’s visit to the store was the unusual “Doughnut Theatre“, which allows visitors to view the cooking process from behind a large glass panel. Here, doughnuts are made with the same manufacturing machines used in the U.S.

Big batches of doughnuts were being produced before K’s very eyes, making his stomach rumble. It was interesting to see how the doughnuts were made, and K thought it was nice that the toppings were still finished by hand.

After waiting in line for about two hours, K finally got to step inside the store. He knew exactly what he was going to purchase: an original glazed doughnut, warmed up, and a hot coffee.

Despite being no stranger to the taste of a glazed Krispy Kreme, K was still looking forward to being one of the first to try the doughnut at its new Hokkaido location. And he was happy he did; the doughnut was moist and sweet, and was a great partner to the slightly bitter coffee. It was a perfect warming snack for the chilly air of a Hokkaido morning.

Hokkaidoites will be happy to know that a second store is also headed their way, with a new outlet scheduled to open on November 2 in the capital city of Sapporo.

Whether or not Hokkaido will truly welcome the doughnut chain with open arms is yet to be seen, but it’s safe to say the lines might well be out the door again when they release their seasonal exclusives, and their Lucky Bag for 2019.

Store Information
Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Chitose Outlet Mall Rera / クリスピー・クリーム・ドーナツ 千歳アウトレットモール・レラ店
Address: Hokkaido, Chitose-shi, Kashiwadaiminami 1-2-1
北海道千歳市柏台南1-2-1
Hours: 10:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m.

Related: Krispy Kreme Japan Official Site
Photos © SoraNews24  

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