The official student newspaper of Vanderbilt University

The Vanderbilt Hustler

The official student newspaper of Vanderbilt University.
Since 1888
The official student newspaper of Vanderbilt University

The Vanderbilt Hustler

The official student newspaper of Vanderbilt University.
The official student newspaper of Vanderbilt University

The Vanderbilt Hustler

The official student newspaper of Vanderbilt University.

Midtown Krispy Kreme closes due to national ‘business model shift’

The thirty-year staple of the “Rock Block” historical site is part of Krispy Kreme store closures across the country.
Storefront+of+Krispy+Kreme+in+Midtown+Nashville%2C+as+photographed+on+Feb.+24%2C+2023.+%28Hustler+Staff%2FBarrie+Barto%29
Barrie Barto
Storefront of Krispy Kreme in Midtown Nashville, as photographed on Feb. 24, 2023. (Hustler Staff/Barrie Barto)

The Krispy Kreme location in Midtown Nashville, which opened in 1995, permanently closed on Feb. 24. The location was a part of Rock Block, a strip of shops and music venues on Elliston Place recognized by the city of Nashville as a historic site.

In a March 1 email to The Hustler, Krispy Kreme spokesperson Cassie Williams attributed the closure to a shift in the national company’s business model. 

“As we continue to implement our omni-channel model to better serve our guests and achieve long-term growth, we have closed our location at 2103 Elliston Place in Nashville,” the email reads. “It is a privilege to be part of the Nashville community and we are so grateful for our fans’ loyalty. We look forward to continuing to serve them at our other local shops.”

Sophomore Sieran Weatherly said they were upset over the location’s closing because of its convenience.

“I am very sad to see that Krispy Kreme is closing. I have a lot of great memories there, especially since it is just a short walk from campus,” Weatherly said.

Sophomore Morrigan Dunlap-Loomis echoed Weatherly’s sentiments, adding that another draw of Krispy Kreme was its low prices. 

“I am so sad to see that Krispy Kreme closed because it provided good food for cheap prices and was very convenient for providing food for club meetings at a close location,” Dunlap-Loomis said. 

In August 2022, the corporation announced plans to scale back and close stores around the country. During a November 2022 earnings call, Krispy Kreme executives reportedly discussed plans to shift the business model of the company from in-store production and net profit to a “hub and spoke model,” another term for the aforementioned “omni-channel model.” cq

A hub and spoke model is a distribution system in which stores are shipped pre-made products from “hubs,” or centralized production centers, as opposed to individual franchises producing their own products.

Although most store closures as a result of the production model transition occurred prior to the August 2022 earnings call, further closures and planned closures continued through the fall and winter.

“We expect to close seven more in 2023, largely in the first half of the year,” Charlesworth said during a February 2023 earnings call.

Two Krispy Kreme locations remain in the Nashville area: 408 Thompson Lane in South Nashville and 1901 Gallatin Pike North in Madison.

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About the Contributors
Simon Rosenbaum, Former Staff Writer
Simon Rosenbaum (‘26) is majoring in history in the College of Arts and Sciences. He is from Stowe, Vermont. He can be reached at [email protected].
Barrie Barto, Senior Staff Photographer
Barrie Barto ('25) is majoring in medicine, health & society with minors in communication of science & technology and neuroscience in the College of Arts and Science. She previously served as Photography Director. Outside of The Hustler, you can find Barrie cheering on the St. Louis Blues or tracking down the best gluten-free food in Nashville. She can be reached at [email protected].
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The Vanderbilt Hustler welcomes and encourages readers to engage with content and express opinions through the comment sections on our website and social media platforms. The Hustler reserves the right to remove comments that contain vulgarity, hate speech, personal attacks or that appear to be spam, commercial promotion or impersonation. The comment sections are moderated by our Editor-in-Chief, Rachael Perrotta, and our Social Media Director, Chloe Postlewaite. You can reach them at [email protected] and [email protected].
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3 months ago

I was sad to see that Krispy Kreme was gone that building was there for so long I really miss it. I retired the end of April in 2022 and just found out about Krispy Kreme yesterday when I went to the doctor. It will be truly missed.