Queues overnight as US doughnut shop Krispy Kreme opens in France
There were queues in the street overnight as the American doughnut chain Krispy Kreme opened in Paris on Wednesday.
In what the French press has deemed a 'Nuit Blanche' (sleepless night), hundreds of people braved the cold weather, queuing for hours in central Paris on Tuesday night for the chance to taste a Krispy Kreme doughnut early on Wednesday morning.
Lada, a 19-year-old student, told French daily Le Parisien she had arrived at 7pm the day before opening in hopes of being at the front of the line.
"I discovered Krispy Kreme in Scotland, and I'm a real fan of doughnuts. When I found out a store was opening in Paris, I told myself I couldn't miss it. It was well worth a sleepless night in the cold," she told Le Parisien.
You can hear the team at The Local talking about the French love of junk food in the latest episode of the Talking France podcast. Listen here or on the link below.
The American brand had given out the incentive that the first 10 people in line would win a year's worth of free doughnuts. According to the French daily, Krispy Kreme expected around 3,000 customers on the opening day.
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The brand also launched a huge marketing campaign, handing out nearly 100,000 free doughnuts before the grand opening and putting up dozens of comedic posters across the city.
One read 'Macaron démission!' - a play on words implying that French pastries - macaroons - ought to give up, while simultaneously poking fun at a popular slogan on political demonstrations (Macron resign).
However, the posters sparked anger from the city's deputy mayor, Emmanuel Grégoire, who said that they were unlicenced, illegal and polluting - the city has for decades been battling illegal flyposting (affichage sauvage).
🤬 Il y en a marre de l’affichage sauvage. C’est une pratique marketing d’un autre temps.
Elle est illégale, polluante et coûteuse pour la collectivité.
Les services de @Paris interviendront pour mettre fin à cette pub qui salit les rues.@AntoineGuillou @nicolas_nordman https://t.co/5hgn2oSiFV
— Emmanuel Grégoire (@egregoire) November 29, 2023
The new store, located in the Forum des Halles, is a first for the American brand in France who hopes to inaugurate at least five to ten doughnut shops in the next five years in the capital area.
The chain also intends to sell its doughnuts in dozens more kiosks - located at grocery stores, shopping malls, train stations, and airports around Paris.
"Billions of croissants are sold each year in France. We want to take our share of the stomach,” the head of Krispy Kreme France, Alexandre Maizoué, told Actu France.
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In what the French press has deemed a 'Nuit Blanche' (sleepless night), hundreds of people braved the cold weather, queuing for hours in central Paris on Tuesday night for the chance to taste a Krispy Kreme doughnut early on Wednesday morning.
Lada, a 19-year-old student, told French daily Le Parisien she had arrived at 7pm the day before opening in hopes of being at the front of the line.
"I discovered Krispy Kreme in Scotland, and I'm a real fan of doughnuts. When I found out a store was opening in Paris, I told myself I couldn't miss it. It was well worth a sleepless night in the cold," she told Le Parisien.
You can hear the team at The Local talking about the French love of junk food in the latest episode of the Talking France podcast. Listen here or on the link below.
The American brand had given out the incentive that the first 10 people in line would win a year's worth of free doughnuts. According to the French daily, Krispy Kreme expected around 3,000 customers on the opening day.
View this post on Instagram
The brand also launched a huge marketing campaign, handing out nearly 100,000 free doughnuts before the grand opening and putting up dozens of comedic posters across the city.
One read 'Macaron démission!' - a play on words implying that French pastries - macaroons - ought to give up, while simultaneously poking fun at a popular slogan on political demonstrations (Macron resign).
However, the posters sparked anger from the city's deputy mayor, Emmanuel Grégoire, who said that they were unlicenced, illegal and polluting - the city has for decades been battling illegal flyposting (affichage sauvage).
🤬 Il y en a marre de l’affichage sauvage. C’est une pratique marketing d’un autre temps.
— Emmanuel Grégoire (@egregoire) November 29, 2023
Elle est illégale, polluante et coûteuse pour la collectivité.
Les services de @Paris interviendront pour mettre fin à cette pub qui salit les rues.@AntoineGuillou @nicolas_nordman https://t.co/5hgn2oSiFV
The new store, located in the Forum des Halles, is a first for the American brand in France who hopes to inaugurate at least five to ten doughnut shops in the next five years in the capital area.
The chain also intends to sell its doughnuts in dozens more kiosks - located at grocery stores, shopping malls, train stations, and airports around Paris.
"Billions of croissants are sold each year in France. We want to take our share of the stomach,” the head of Krispy Kreme France, Alexandre Maizoué, told Actu France.
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