Doughnut by Heather Delancey Hunwick

Author:Heather Delancey Hunwick
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Reaktion Books

Krispy Kreme’s magnet.

Having survived these tribulations, America’s two leading doughnut chains are planning further expansion, some of it ambitious indeed. In 2015 Dunkin’ Donuts is intent on opening the first of an eventual 1,000 outlets in California alone, part of a global expansion to 15,000, up from 10,800 in late 2013. Krispy Kreme also intends to expand into the American west, as well as to maintain an ambitious overseas programme; it now has 100 shops in Saudi Arabia alone and, starting with Colombia, plans to expand into South America. But to talk of the two chains in the same sentence belies the differences between the two. Dunkin’ Donuts seems by far the larger operation: its 10,800 outlets contrast with Krispy Kreme’s 800. But most of Krispy Kreme’s are substantial factory outlets, and the company relies on sales through a host of kiosks in petrol stations, supermarkets and other shops. And with nearly 90 per cent of its revenue coming from doughnut sales, Krispy Kreme is a much more focused doughnut business. Dunkin’ Donuts secures more than 60 per cent of its revenue from the sale of drinks, mainly coffee – so much so that it sees its major competitor as Starbucks, not Krispy Kreme.

Some may see such expansion as a triumph of American cultural imperialism. To critics, such chains have come to symbolize the whole problem of the undermining of local cuisine by mass-produced food: more than examples of material culture, they are also exhibits in the heated debate on the materiality of culture. But the reality is more nuanced. Many more people are increasingly comfortable with what the American fast-food outlets embody; like their brethren, the doughnut chains appeal because they provide basic tastes, family consensus and attractively priced foods that are safe, clean and reliable. To their customers around the world they have become essential cultural fixtures, additions to, not substitutes for, their own cultural heritage.

But the barriers to further expansion, imperial or otherwise, should not be underestimated. Even in the USA, successful independents and local chains stand in their way; they have seen off the leading chains before, and others that are but a memory, such as Winchell’s. To people elsewhere, these independents may epitomize another aspect of the American imperium: in that land of opportunity, the good life is available to anyone prepared to work hard. The success enjoyed by many independents is proof of sorts that the American Dream is alive and well.

California in particular has fostered independents, and Los Angeles alone has hundreds of doughnut shops, many of which have been trading for decades. Most of the latter’s are run by Cambodians who survived the Pol Pot regime and eventually settled in the city. Their community, united by a shared, tragic history, has helped many into doughnut businesses: an uncle who already has several shops helps a younger relative to get a start with loans, advice and contacts, and the pattern is repeated. Set-up costs are relatively low and, while margins are thin, a family prepared to work the long hours and forge links with its local community can succeed.

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