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Day 2 | Krispy Kreme Blogger Summit: The Total Sensory Experience

I’ve been back from my trip to North Carolina for almost a month now, it was such a fun and exciting trip… so I am excited to share my adventures from Day 2 with you! (You can read my Day 1 adventures here)

Day 2 was probably my favorite day, as they packed so much into it, and of course it all centered around their yummy donuts and coffee! We kicked off day 2 with a coffee and doughnut pairing, and I have to say that is such a great way to start any day! We were giving several flavors of coffee, and then we were given the opportunity to try different combinations of coffee and doughnuts. I have to admit, I had no clue how amazing that the combination between and doughnut and coffee can be…honestly, it was heavenly. I am usually a person that must put creme in her coffee, but this experience totally changed how I drink my coffee…especially if I have something sweet on hand!

For this coffee and doughnut pairing, Branan Wagaman (KK Beverage Operations Manager) and Ron Ruponcinski (Corportate Chef) shared with us their expertise on coffee and doughnuts and how that the two together create an amazing experience!  Here is me working super hard at the doughnut and coffee pairing:

We were then allowed to ask questions from the Chefs (Ron Ruponcinski and Mark Susz) and that part was really interesting because it made me realize just how much thought goes into every aspect of Krispy Kreme.

After a short break, we then got to sit in a session with Chief Marketing Officer, Dwayne Chambers, which revealed a look into the “what’s and why’s” of Krispy Kreme, the fans, consumers and the driving forces behind the company itself. With each person that shared a piece of the Krispy Kreme story with us, it became more and more obvious that this company runs a little bit different than most. So much emotion and passion go into the process of bringing Krispy Kreme from concept to consumers, and I was so impressed with what a big part the consumer plays in the decision making that goes on.

One area where this is very apparent, is the Krispy Kreme fundraising program. If you are not familiar with it, you might want to check into it, especially if you are a Mom (or Dad) who has ever had to run a team fundraising program. Greg Wood, who is the Director of Fundraising, shared with us how (and why) the program works, and the amazing things that it does in communities. (go here for more info.)

We then proceeded to learn more of the story, from international marketing (holy cow… impressive! Krispy Kreme donuts are all over the globe!) as well as the wholesale market. (I was impressed to see (and of course taste) a whole line of Krispy Kreme shelf products that stores now carry, yum!)

And last, but not least, my favorite part… we spend time with the food experts, Tanisha Randolph (Food Sceintist) and Tim Heatherly (Training Specialist) who helped us to create donuts and specialty drinks of our very own. Here is me and my friend Karen,  from KouponKaren, creating our own doughnut designs:

I love the creative process, so this part was so much fun for me… and here is the result of my creating:

And on that note, our sweet (literally!) adventure was over… and I was so sad to say goodbye to old and new friends, but I love that I have my Krispy Kreme memories!

Thank you Krispy Kreme for a wonderful and Total Sensory Experience!

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Day 1 | Krispy Kreme Blogger Summit: The Total Sensory Experience

Upon accepting my invitation to the Krispy Kreme Blogger Summit, I was quite certain that if nothing else, this trip would be full of yummy doughnut tasting and a chance to hang with my friends Karen (KouponKaren) and Nicole (NicolesNickels), and also a chance to meet and get to know some other bloggers as well. I am pleased to report that the  Krispy Kreme Blogger Summit: The Total Sensory Experience was ALL of this and more!

I feel in love with my room right away! We stayed in the Manor House at the Graylyn Conference Center.

About: At the Manor House, enjoy the original 1930s resident and guest room floor with all the comforts of modern amenities. The Manor House features thirty-five exquisite guest rooms including the Bowman Gray Suite and the Natalie Gray Suite. The Manor House also features many elegant and private dining rooms, outdoor dining, meeting and breakout spaces.

Let me sum this up for you: Quaint, beautiful, cozy, awesome.

There were 14 of us bloggers on this adventure and we all headed out to begin our experience by visiting the Krispy Kreme Mix Facility which is just outside of downtown Winston-Salem. This building was built in the 1940s and was the companies headquarters until the 1990s. Upon entering the facility, visitors and employees walk under this sign, that reads: Our Mission: To touch and enhance lives through the joy that is Krispy Kreme:

The more time that you spend with Krispy Kreme employees, the clearer that this mission becomes. There really is a sense of joy that goes into every aspect of the Krispy Kreme production process from new product conception, to bringing doughnuts off the line, joy is a very good word to use to describe the atmosphere at Krispy Kreme.

I felt joy as I got to enter the vault and hold in my hands the actual envelope that contains the ORIGINAL Krispy Kreme doughnut recipe:

As I had expected it to be, the Mix Facility was very (VERY!) clean and you could tell that quality control was very tight (Um… except that part about them letting me hold that envelope…do you have any idea how big of a klutz I am? lol) We were able to see the original equipment that was once used to create doughnuts:

We also got a peek at the very efficient and high tech way that they create the Krispy Kreme mixes that get shipped all over the world. Our tour ended with a visit to the doughnut production line and the doughnut aroma in this facility was to.die.for!

I got to hold this little baby doughnut who got picked up off the line before he really became a “real” doughnut. I did feel a little guilty about stopping him from reaching his full potential, but at the same time, it was really neat to feel the “airy-ness” of the dough before it becomes a doughnut:

… and this was the very best part: FRESH yummy warm original recipe Krispy Kreme doughnuts right off the line. The smell was amazing and then of course we were all giddy when they handed us each a box of hot, fresh doughnuts to take with us… mmmm!

We then continued our adventures with a trip to Old Salem in which we visited the Old Salem Museums and Gardens. The city of Winston Salem, NC is rich with history. In fact, the town of Salem was formed in 1766, and then merged with Winston to become Winston-Salem in 1913, the birthplace of Krispy Kreme (1937).  Just driving through the city of Winston-Salem, you can feel and see the history. We actually got to experience the history with a visit to the the Old Salem Museums which included real demonstrations by tradesmen, and a we were even treated to a real hearthside meal that was cooked just as it would have been in the 1700s:

This is Nicole and I (NicolesNickels) getting ready to enjoy our hearthside cooked meal in Old Salem.

After our time in Old Salem, we headed back to the Graylyn where we then got ready for our next adventure, dinner at the Spring House Restaurant, Kitchen and Bar. Chef Tim Grandinetti, who was recently featured on The Food Network’s “Chopped”, made us a wonderful meal featuring traditional foods and drinks from Winston Salem and the southeast. Ohhhh the food was sooooo good!

This meal was so delicious! I had such a fun time with fellow bloggers, as well as the Krispy Kreme team, they are such a fun and joyous group of people and I am seriously convinced that joy plays a big part in the Krispy Kreme world! After our wonderful meal it was back to the hotel to rest up for the next day, and I will share those adventures with you in my next post.

Day 1 ended beautifully as I climbed into my big comfy bed at the Grayland with my yummy box of Krispy Kreme doughnuts… sweet dreams! (literally!)

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