Restaurant Associates Limited (RAL), franchisees of Krispy Kreme, has been hailed by Industry Minister Aubyn Hill for “amazing investment and job creation” with the June 3 opening of the first flagship doughnut store in Kingston.

Hill, speaking at a pre-opening reception at the store at the intersection of Waterloo and Hope roads on May 31, said that he was particularly impressed by the state-of-the-art equipment, the main feature of the Krispy Kreme trademark “Hot Light Doughnut Theatre” which allows patrons to see doughnuts being made from start to finish.

Minister Hill also praised the construction of the new building which also houses another RAL franchise, Popeyes, noting that new buildings are a sign of strong investment and confidence in the economy.

“Jamaica is changing, and a brand like Krispy Kreme coming to Jamaica is totally positive. New restaurants opening in an area is good for others too as they feed off of each other. It’s nice to see more jobs being created and this is an even more compelling reason for the private sector in Jamaica to upscale the training of employees,” argued Hill.

Spearheading the so-called ‘Business Ministry’, Hill said, “I love to see new businesses, new investments and people making money. Encourage Jamaicans to come enjoy what Krispy Kreme has to offer.”

In her remarks, Lisa Lake, group CEO of RAL, paid homage “to the team that pulled out all the stops to get this restaurant ready for opening. Singling out Valda Ormsby, general manager of RAL for over three decades and Ernestine McCoy who has been training staff at Krispy Kreme for 47 years.”

She said that “a dedicated and committed team” was invaluable in every business.

Lake noted that there has been lots of anticipation ever since the announcement that Krispy Kreme was coming to Jamaica and that RAL was very pleased to welcome the first of many stores planned for Jamaica. RAL is franchisee for over 90 stores across the region spanning Burger King, Popeyes, Little Caesars and newcomer Krispy Kreme.

Speaking on behalf of Krispy Kreme, Miguel Mendez said that the company started in 1937, has “developed a reputation for spreading joy” and intends to do just that with the help of RAL.

Already experiencing “joy” at the opening of Krispy Kreme, Nicole Weber, political and economic attaché at the US Embassy in Kingston thanked RAL confessing that “everyone at the US Embassy has been counting down to this day”.