Krispy Kreme Spreads Its Deliciousness around the World（a）

Krispy Kreme Spreads Its Deliciousness around the World

by Brian Foden

From humble beginnings and the purchase of a secret recipe nearly 80 years ago, Krispy Kreme has become an international doughnut empire.

　　When Vernon Rudolph's uncle bought a secret recipe from a New Orleans chef and later hired his nephew to sell doughnuts door-to-door, it was the humble beginnings of what would become the Krispy Kreme Doughnuts empire. Envisioning a bigger picture than his uncle originally had in mind, Rudolph and some other family members decided to expand the business concept. Rudolph established stores in Nashville, Tennessee, Charleston, West Virginia, and later in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, where the business really started to grow. Throughout the 1940s and 1950s, Krispy Kreme grew in size and popularity, much of it through franchise arrangements with various owners. By the age of 31, Rudolph had become the president and major shareholder of the company known for its delicious doughnuts and coffee. The company kept growing and, in the 1960s, began expanding out of the southeastern United States into other parts of America. For Rudolph, though, the end was nearing. He died of a heart attack in 1973 at the age of 58.

　　Rudolph's death was not the end of Krispy Kreme, but it did leave a void in senior management. The company was sold in 1976 to Beatrice Foods, and after Krispy Kreme sales failed to live up to expectations, they sold the doughnut company to a group made up of people who were Krispy Kreme franchise operators in 1982. The company's fortunes improved once again, and it went public in 2000, with its shares climbing an amazing 235 percent in a few years. The early to mid-2000s saw the company hit a rough patch, but more recently Krispy Kreme bounced back financially and is following through with its ambitious plans for global expansion.

色彩缤纷『甜』旋风

卡卡圈坊初创时很不起眼，几近八十年前买下了一份食谱秘方，它现在已成为国际性甜甜圈企业王国。

　　弗农‧鲁道夫的叔叔向纽奥良的厨师买了一份食谱秘方，后来僱用他的侄子挨家挨户地兜售甜甜圈，这是卡卡圈坊成为甜甜圈企业王国前很不起眼的开端。鲁道夫比他叔叔原来的初衷预见了一个更大的愿景，他便和其他一些家庭成员决定要扩大经营理念。鲁道夫于田纳西州纳许维尔市、西维吉尼亚州查尔斯顿市，以及之后在北卡罗莱纳州温斯顿塞勒姆市成立店面，在这些地方他的生意才真正开始成长。1940 年代和 1950 年代期间，卡卡圈坊的规模和人气都有所成长，这点大多要归因于与各业主加盟合作的关系。鲁道夫三十一岁时就已经成为公司的总裁及大股东，该公司以其美味的甜甜圈和咖啡声名远播。公司不断地成长，并于 1960 年代开始从美国东南部扩展到美国的其他地区。但对鲁道夫而言，他的日子不多了。他于 1973 年死于心脏病，享年五十八岁。

　　鲁道夫的过世并不是卡卡圈坊的终点，不过它确实让高层管理位置留下了一个空缺。1976 年，该公司被卖给比阿特丽斯食品公司，而在卡卡圈坊的销售未能达到期望后，他们于 1982 年把该甜甜圈公司转卖给一个由卡卡圈坊加盟经营者组成的团体。该公司的时运再度好转，并于 2000 年股票上市，其股价在几年内节节攀升惊人的百分之两百三十五。从 2001 年初至 2005 年左右，人们经历了该公司陷入困顿时期，但近来卡卡圈坊的财务回温，目前正积极贯彻它宏伟的全球扩张计划。