With a secret recipe a French chef had sold to his uncle, Vernon Rudolph and two friends began Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, in 1937, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Business grew quickly from that one popular location, and by the late 1950s, Krispy Kreme was operating 29 stores in 12 states. Standardized store signage and looks took place in the 1960s as the Krispy Kreme empire continued to rise (Gonzales).
