Tokyo Krispy Kreme Field Report
I was in Shinjuku yesterday, and after spotting people walking by carrying Krispy Kreme bags, I decided to check out the Krispy Kreme Doughnut shop that had opened there on Friday. Here’s what it looked like in front of the store at about 1:30PM on Saturday:
The line was pretty large, and it wasn’t just foreigners: I estimated that about 80% of the people in line were Japanese.
While waiting in line, I was able to view the glazed doughnut assembly line through the window.
After 40 minutes, I finally reached the inside of the shop. With a few minutes of waiting to go, staff appeared and started handing free glazed doughnuts to the people waiting in line. Behind the counter there were several foreign Krispy Kreme employees with “trainer” written on their name cards. Most of them seemed to be standing around and watching, but a few were actively directing the huge number of Japanese staff.
After purchasing a few doughnuts, I went outside and noticed that the line was now stretching around the side of the building. I would guess that the wait would probably be well over an hour for the people at the back of the line.
After eating a few doughnuts with my girlfriend, I was able to fully remember the over-rated taste of Krispy Kreme. I had not told her that I didn’t think their doughnuts were not-so-great, hoping not to influence her opinion of the doughnuts. She found them to be different from the doughnuts available at Japanese shops, but not exactly great. She remains a Mister Donut loyalist.
Doughnuts are kind of boring, aren’t they? Ultranationalist loudspeaker trucks are much more interesting, so I’ll close this post with a picture of one that was blaring propaganda in front of an exit to Shinjuku station. Rock on, you wacky right-wingers!
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This is a hilarious post! I was actually on my way to Kinokuniya Bookstore that VERY same day (at around 1.30pm) to buy a few novels when I saw this LONG line of people waiting to get into Krispy Kreme. I stopped, looked at them, laughed out loud, and walked on.
Heheheehh… Funny.
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I went buy today and also saw the line for the line. I asked the ‘guard man’ at the end of the line holding the ‘end of the line sign’ about how long the wait was, and he estimated over an hour and a half. I’ve never eaten a krispy kreme donut before, and I don’t think I will be for a while. I don’t think I’m missing out on much though.
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GET ANGRY JAPANESE PEOPLE!!!! the right-wingers say. Yeah!
I wish I could have seen that line though! Great scoop!
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I’ve had Mister Donut and I’ve had Krispy Kreme’s. But LaMar’s Donuts are the best in the world if you want a super good doughnut. LaMar’s Limited locations though, so most people are out of luck, poor Japan.
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The guy with the mask in the first photo has a toy poodle, I think. I’m sure the dog loved sitting around in the cold for an hour.
Never had a Krisy Kreme, but I’m a Mis-Do fan. I’ll go once if they open in Osaka, just to see what the fuss is, though.
Mis-Do could do with going all non-smoking (is KK non-smoking?) all the time, and they could lose the American Oldies radio station, then they’d be perfect.
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This is a joke. My JP wife lived in the US for 7 years, and is quite familiar with the taste of Krispy Kreme donuts. She thinks that Mister Donut is several times more superior than this outfit, and gives them 6 months to a year in JP because the rest of the JP public will quickly figure this out too.
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I heard that Krispy Kreme just opened up a branch in Jakarta and people reacted in the same way as they did in Tokyo.
I guess it’s all in the image marketing; how else could anyone explain McDonald’s and Starbucks?
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Hey, if I had to wait 90 minutes for a donut I’d be angry too. That truck chose a good location to deliver its rants.
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Tim Hortons rules!!
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