Krispy Kreme was founded in Winston-Salem in 1937 by Vernon Rudolph, who began selling hand-cut yeast doughnuts to local groceries from a leased space in the Old Salem area. Within a few years the original storefront moved to Stratford Road, where the now-iconic "Hot Doughnuts Now" neon sign was first lit.
The original 1937 site is marked only by a small plaque. The actively operating store at 259 South Stratford Road is the more rewarding stop — it has been frying doughnuts more or less continuously since the 1950s, and watching the glaze waterfall coat the originals on the conveyor belt is a low-rent Winston-Salem pilgrimage. Bring an empty stomach.