Whenever the "HOT NOW" sign is lit, Krispy Kreme's parking lot will be mobbed as people flock for the warm, glazed doughnuts. It's not unusual to drive by at 10:30 or 11 p.m. and see the parking lot completely jammed! Kids (and adults, too!) love to press their noses against the window inside to watch hundreds of doughnuts roll under a shower of gooey glaze. The kids then march by with their Krispy Kreme hats on.

The international chain of doughnut shops was founded by Vernon Rudolph in 1937 in Winston-Salem, NC. The Raleigh store is one of the earliest locations. A signature event tied to Krispy Kreme -- and unique to Raleigh -- is the Krispy Kreme Challenge. Runners start from the N.C. State University Bell Tower, run to Krispy Kreme, eat a dozen glazed doughnuts and run back to NCSU. The race has drawn national media attention. Proceeds go to the North Carolina Children's Hospital.

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