Dozens line up in the rain as Winnipeg's first Krispy Kreme opens its doors
A steady stream of rain didn't dampen spirits Tuesday morning as Winnipeg's first Krispy Kreme opened its doors.
Dozens of people, some armed with umbrellas and slickers, lined up to try the U.S. chain's famous glazed, sugared, and powdered doughnuts on home soil.
“It’s unbelievable. Last night, we saw the line starting. I had no idea it would be this impactful,” said Larry Geraghty, the store’s general manager.
Jason Magner was first in the queue. He arrived at the store at noon Monday. He had to take the afternoon off work to guarantee he'd be the first customer through the doors on opening day.
Thanks to his early bird status, he got to turn on the store's Hot Light and won a golden ticket, entitling him to a free dozen doughnuts every month for a year.
"I had to be the first, to get the bragging rights, to be the first in Winnipeg, to tell my children, to just get that honour to turn on that Hot Light," he said.
Jason Magner is pictured during a June 18, 2024 interview at the grand opening of the city's first Krispy Kreme. (Joseph Bernacki/CTV News Winnipeg)
Michael Bochinski also lined up Monday, spending the rainy night in the Sterling Lyon Parkway parking lot.
He grew up loving Krispy Kreme, making sure to grab a few every time he visited the States.
“I don’t think it stopped raining the entire night, but we were here, we were rallying.”
Hungry customers pack Winnipeg's first Krispy Kreme on June 18, 2024. (Joseph Bernacki/CTV News Winnipeg)
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Hurricane Helene death toll rises, dozens are still trapped in damaged homes
The Georgia governor says at least 11 people in his state have been killed and dozens are still trapped in homes damaged by Hurricane Helene.
Family of man killed by Calgary police issues statement
The family of Jon Wells, a man killed by Calgary police earlier this month, say they are seeking time to grieve their loss.
1 person hospitalized, 550 people symptomatic after illness outbreak at P.E.I. shellfish festival
More than 550 symptomatic people responded to an online questionnaire about a gastrointestinal illness at a Prince Edward Island shellfish festival last weekend.
Maggie Smith, scene-stealing actor famed for Harry Potter and 'Downton Abbey,' dies at 89
Maggie Smith, the masterful, scene-stealing actor who won an Oscar for 1969 film 'The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie' and gained new fans in the 21st century as the dowager Countess of Grantham in 'Downton Abbey' and Professor Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter films, died Friday. She was 89.
Israel says it struck Hezbollah's headquarters as huge explosions rocked Beirut
A series of intense Israeli airstrikes hit one of Beirut's heavily populated southern suburbs on Friday as blasts were heard throughout the Lebanese capital.
What's 'chroming'? Experts explain the dangerous social media trend among youths
Chroming, or getting high via inhaling hydrocarbons by misusing a variety of legal products, is trending among adolescents, and it sometimes ends in death.
Police make four more arrests in viral video that showed woman stealing Porsche from Mississauga driveway
Police have arrested four more people in connection with a viral video that showed a woman stealing a Porsche from a Mississauga driveway and then striking its owner as she attempted to flee the scene.
Iranian operatives charged in the U.S. with hacking Donald Trump's presidential campaign
The U.S. Justice Department unsealed criminal charges Friday against three Iranian operatives suspected of hacking Donald Trump's presidential campaign and disseminating stolen information to media organizations.
It was supposed to be a brief work trip to Uganda. Now he owes a hospital $30K
A man from Alberta has been at the Medipal International Hospital in Kampala, Uganda for over two months with a hefty medical bill. He says he can’t leave until it’s been paid for.