Iconic North Carolina Donut Franchise Welcomes Back Pumpkin Spice Collection
Most of the time I’m able to resist the “pumpkin spice” hype. It’s not that I don’t love it. On the contrary, I REALLY like it. It’s just that the whole craze behind it is so annoying, that I cannot be a party to it. That is about to change. I have three real food weaknesses in my life: fast food hamburgers, ice cream, and Krispy Kreme donuts. And as God as my witness, I will have no willpower when it comes to Krispy Kreme’s “pumpkin spice” collection this year.
Look, I get it. It’s still August. It’s hotter than six Hells. Even though the kids are back in school and football in back on TV, “fall” seems like it’s ten thousand miles away. We’re still smelling wet cut grass and suntan lotion. The odors of outdoor firepits and pumpkin/holiday spices don’t register. That being said, there’s no way you can’t at least pay attention to this box from Krispy Kreme.
- NEW Pumpkin Spice Latte Swirl Doughnut: A Pumpkin Spice Doughnut dipped in a pumpkin spice/sugar blend and topped with a swirl of vanilla and coffee buttercream.
- Pumpkin Spice Original Glazed® Doughnut: A classic Original Glazed doughnut with a pumpkin spice twist.
- Pumpkin Spice Original Filled Cheesecake Doughnut: A Pumpkin Spice Original Glazed doughnut with creamy cheesecake filing decorated with cheesecake icing.
- Pumpkin Spice Cake Doughnut: A perfectly spiced old-fashioned cake doughnut covered in iconic glaze.
- Pumpkin Spice Latte: A latte flavored with pumpkin pie sauce, topped with whipped cream and pumpkin spice seasoning – available hot, iced or frozen.
- NEW Pumpkin Spice Iced Coffee: Iced Coffee blended with pumpkin pie sauce.
Krispy Kreme is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina and has spread its undeniable message of donut greatness in more than 30 countries around the world. Okay, that’s enough. Writing this has made my jones increase ten-fold. I’m off to Krispy Kreme to enjoy their pumpkin spice donuts. Oh yeah, and did I mention there’s new pumpkin spice coffee to wash ’em down, too?!
North Carolina Donut Shop Named The 2nd Best In The Country
Friday, June 2 is National Donut Day, and ahead of the celebration, Yelp released its second annual Top 100 US Donut Shops list. And apparently, NC has some delicious donuts. One North Carolina Donut shop was named the second-best in the entire country. The highly praised donuts come to us from Asheville. And 2nd best, that’s some high praise. They weren’t alone as 5 total North Carolina places made Yelp’s list. This includes donuts from Asheville, Fayetteville, and Concord among others.
Did you know there are donut trends? There sure are! According to Yelp the biggest donut trends in 2023 are:
- Outrageous Toppings
- Classic, Old Fashioned Donuts
- Offering Other Bakery Treats
While my current favorite donut spot, The Salty, didn’t make the cut, I’ll be sure to check out a couple of these locations. I enjoy a good gourmet donut but I also can’t turn down a hot now Krispy Kreme glazed donut. There just might not be anything better! The best donut I’ve had lately- a butterbeer one from the previously mentioned The Salty. Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately for my waistline) it was a limited-time offering. So how did Yelp come up with these ratings that ranked a North Carolina Donut Shop 2nd best in the country? According to Yelp, they “identified businesses in the donuts category, then ranked those spots using a number of factors, including the total volume and ratings of reviews between January 1st, 2022 and March 31st, 2023.”
Keep reading to see the top 10 donut shops in the US and the other North Carolina locations that were recognized.
Charlie Nance is the Afternoon Drive co-host (along with his wife) of "The Charlie and Debbie Show" at WSOC, Country 1037 in Charlotte, North Carolina. The couple have been with the radio station since 2006. Charlie has won the prestigious CMA (Country Music Association) Award for Radio Personality of the Year and has been a finalist for the Country Radio Hall of Fame four times. Prior to his time in Charlotte, Charlie (along with Debbie) spent more than a decade hosting successful morning radio shows in Greenville, SC; Augusta, Ga; and Birmingham, Al. As a content creator for Country 1037, Charlie writes about dream lottery windfalls, sports, restaurants and bars, and travel experiences in North and South Carolina.
