Dan Beem, the global president of US-based Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Inc., says he is delighted by the way Filipino staff members serve customers, which helps the brand grow in the country.
“It has grown incredibly well in the Philippines. We have 62 stores here. It makes one of the largest markets in the world. What they deliver to customers, it is second to none. The energy when you walk into the store, the genuine smile on the faces. It is everything Krispy Kreme hopes to be,” Beem says during a tour of the Krispy Kreme store at Fort Bonifacio in Taguig City. He celebrated his 45th birthday in the country during the visit.
Beem, the one in charge of expanding the brand’s international franchise business segment, joined Krispy Kreme vice president for Asia-Pacific Steve Avery, Krispy Kreme Philippines chief executive Sharon Fuentebella and marketing manager Ariane Valinton during the visit to the store.
The US team came to the Philippines as a part of an Asian tour that also covered Bangkok, Thailand and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Beem, who has over 20 years in the restaurant industry, had served as president of Cold Stone Creamery and Kahala Corp. International before joining Krispy Kreme. He also held executive and management positions with Planet Hollywood, TGI. Fridays, Gordon Biersch Brewing Company and Nascar. Now, he is in charge of expanding the Krispy Kreme brand globally.
Krispy Kreme, a global doughnut company founded by Vernon Rudolph in Winston-Salem, North Carolina 77 years ago, is a retailer and wholesaler of sweet treats and complementary products, including its signature original glazed doughnut and great tasting coffee.
“The first store opened in 1937 in North Carolina by Rudolph. It is a brand that has tested the time in that many years. It definitely has established an emotional connection with customers,” says Beem.
With a global network of 1,000 stores, Krispy Kreme aims to be the worldwide leader in “sharing delicious tastes and creating joyful memories.” Today, it is known for its signature coffee and roster of premium and delectable doughnuts.
Krispy Kreme has recently opened its 1,000th shop in Kansas City and in celebration, gave away 1,000 original glazed doughnuts simultaneously to millions of customers in 1,000 participating locations, targeting a total of 1 million free doughnuts all over the world.
“The Philippines is such a great market for Krispy Kreme. Not only is there tremendous growth opportunities, there is also a very welcoming and exciting vibe among our loyal customers who have become accustomed to the fun and delightful experience of a global brand with a touch of the Filipino’s passionate and heartwarming service,” says Beem, who reports to Krispy Kreme president and chief executive Jim Morgan.
“In the Philippines, they have 13 stores planned for next year, which would bring us to 75. We are thrilled about that,” says Beem.
“We take pride in being where we are right now. As we celebrate this momentous occasion with our millions of fans worldwide, we are even more committed to continuously seek better ways to touch and enhance the lives of our customers through the joy that is Krispy Kreme, ” says Beem.
Fuentabella says the fact that the top leaders of Krispy Kreme visited the country manifests how important the Philippine market is to the US company. “We are very pleased to have the leadership of Krispy Kreme here. It shows how Krispy Kreme has really grown and how the Philippines is an important market for them,” says Fuentabella, who is also the chairman of Max’s Group, which holds the Philippine franchise for Krispy Kreme.
“It is truly an honor to be here today in Manila. This past week, we celebrated our 1,000th store opening in Kansas City. One of the core values that we have experienced here is hospitality. Nobody exhibits hospitality like here in Manila,” says Beem.
The US remains the largest market of Krispy Kreme with 250 stores. “Right behind that, would be Mexico with 150 stores. We have just opened our 104th store in Korea. I would say the Philippines is probably in the top five,” says Beem.
He says half of the brand sales are registered in the Asia-Pacific region. “Asia-Pacific is incredibly important to us. The Asia-Pacific region actually accounts for half of revenue. The partners did a good job and we want to celebrate this event with them,” he says.
Beem says “we definitely see the donut market growing. In what we see, people are kinda busy, but they want to take that 10 minutes with their family and have a little indulgence,” he says.
“Our store count is growing. Customers are overwhelmed when we come to a new market. People line up to experience Krispy Kreme for the first time. We are lucky to have a brand that has that power,” he says.
Beem says Krispy Kreme is expanding to Bangladesh and other parts of Russia. “We signed a new development agreement with St. Petersburg, Russia. We are already in Moscow. We want to expand to St. Petersburg. We will open that towards September or October,” he says.
He says Krispy Kreme remains unfazed by rising competition. “It is a good thing, because the competition is getting stronger. That tells us that it is a definitely growing market. What we do is to make sure we deliver the joy that is Krispy Kreme,” says Beem.
