Fire rips through iconic Krispy Kreme shop owned by Shaq in Georgia
A landmark Krispy Kreme doughnut shop that has stood on Ponce de Leon Avenue in Atlanta for more than 60 years was nearly destroyed Wednesday when flames ripped through the historic building.
The “fast moving” blaze broke out shortly before 1 a.m. and engulfed the back end of the restaurant, sending flames and thick billows of smoke high into the air, according to photos and video posted online.
Two employees were inside working at the time but managed to escape, Atlanta Fire Rescue said on Twitter.
Crews continued working to put out hot spots well into the morning, according to the fire agency.
Customer Dwayne Ivey said it was the familiar glow of the “HOT NOW” sign that drew him to the shop early Wednesday. Then he saw something glowing even brighter.
“As I got closer, that’s when I notice the place is on fire,” Ivey told WSB-TV from the scene as the building smoldered in the background. “It started off kind of small ... and I started recording, the next thing I know the flames just started to get higher and higher.”
No injuries were reported, but crews said the fire “gutted” the backside of the building near the drive-thru. Photos shared by Atlanta Fire Rescue show the charred remains of what was the front counter, a melted menu, singed “Krispy Kreme” T-shirts and other doughnut memorabilia.
The building has been around for more than 60 years and was one of the first Krispy Kreme shops to open when founder Vernon Carver Rudolph decided to expand operations outside of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, according to the company’s website.
The store soon became “a fixture in the fabric of Atlanta life,” donating 150 dozen donuts to local churches as mourners flocked to the city for the homegoing service of civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968, WXIA reported.
In 2016, Basketball Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal bought the historic shop. Reacting to news of the fire, O’Neal said he was thankful nobody was hurt.
“Hope no one was injured. But we will be back stronger than ever,” he wrote on Instagram.
Authorities said the cause of the fire remains under investigation.
This story was originally published February 10, 2021 at 11:34 AM.