Blog

Shaq now owns Krispy Kreme franchise

Fifteen-time NBA All-Star Shaquille O'Neal and Krispy Kreme doughnuts: When you think about it, they are a match made in heaven. And fittingly perhaps, now they are wed with O'Neal this week officially becoming a franchisee and spokesman for the brand.

October 24, 2016 by S.A. Whitehead — Food Editor, Net World Media Group

Fifteen-time NBA All-Star Shaquille O'Neal and Krispy Kreme doughnuts: When you think about it, they are a match made in heaven. After all, one is famous for putting basketballs through hoops, while the other is famous for its hoop-shaped confections. And fittingly perhaps, now they are wed with O'Neal this week officially becoming a franchisee and spokesman for the longtime doughnut chain.

The chain — which opened in 1937, and went private earlier this year — announced today that the well-loved basketball Hall-of-Famer and sports and entertainment superstar, now owns the brand's downtown Atlanta location on Ponce de Leon Avenue. That store opened more than 60 years ago before the time when O'Neal first publicly declared his longtime love for the chain's original glazed doughnuts.
 
"In addition to Shaquille's status as a sports and entertainment icon and businessman, he is known for spreading joy, which aligns with our positioning and mission," said Krispy Kreme President and CEO Tony Thompson, in a news release today. "We are confident this partnership will have a big impact for us in Atlanta and around the world."
 
Krispy Kreme is celebrating its doughnuts' popularity and now investment with the famous athlete with a social media promotion tied to Halloween, which also happens to be among O'Neal's favorite holidays. The new Shaq-or-Treat promotion asks fans to tag their social media posts with #ShaqOrTreat starting this Friday right through to the big day itself, next Monday. All who do so are eligible to win Shaq-autographed prizes or Krispy Kreme surprises.

"Krispy Kreme prides itself on spreading joy and supporting local communities, and that's a cause that I am thrilled to be a part of," said O'Neal in the news release. "Our goal is to help people find their happy place, and what better way than with a box of delicious Krispy Kreme doughnuts."
 
Also on Wednesday this week, the chain will salute this holiday-filled time of year by turning all of its glazed doughnuts in U.S. and Canada into pumpkin-flavored renditions of the classic for one day only. It could score the chain a big one-day or more bump in sales as pumpkin-flavored products have been repeatedly proven very successful for chains like Starbucks and other coffee-centric enterprises. 
 

Krispy Kreme has more than 1,100 retail shops in 29 countries. O'Neal is a four-time NBA Champion and three-time NBA Finals MVP. He was named among the highest ranked athlete in the NBA and among the "100 Most Creative People in Business" by Fast Company magazine with an online presence that has grown to become the second most followed U.S. athlete on Twitter.  

About S.A. Whitehead

---

Pizza Marketplace and QSRweb editor Shelly Whitehead is a former newspaper and TV reporter with an affinity for telling stories about the people and innovative thinking behind great brands.