Krispy Kreme May Give Boston A Second Chance

BOSTON — Krispy Kreme is at least considering greater Boston for expansion, according to a securities filing Tuesday ahead of the North Carolina-based company's initial public offering.

The registration statement was short on details and a spokeswoman declined further comment. But Boston was mentioned specifically in a section where the company told potential investors "there remains significant opportunity for Hub & Spoke development, including… markets where we have no presence today."

The doughnut chain's only current locations in New England are at the Mohegan Sun casino in Connecticut. Krispy Kreme tried to break into Dunkin'-dominated Boston market beginning with a Medford store 2003. Seven more Boston-area stores followed, but they came at a time when the parent company was struggling financially, and all the Boston-area stores eventually closed.

Initially, Krispy Kreme seemed to have Dunkin's on the ropes, with customers lining up for hours. But repeat customers were scarce and Krispy Kreme left the region in December 2005, having opened just eight of the 15 stores it had planned for greater Boston.

Krispy Kreme announced it would be returning to New England in 2016 when it said a franchisee planned to open four stores in New Hampshire and three in Maine. Only two of those stores ever opened, and both closed last year.