Customers hoping to sample doughnuts at Ireland’s first Krispy Kreme waited for over an hour on October 2 without realizing they were in the wrong queue, according to a local resident who has been documenting traffic chaos since the store opened.
This footage was posted to Facebook by Giacomo Persichini, who told Storyful that the confusion occurred when a number of cars mistook the car park for the entrance.
“There’s that little entrance next to TGI Friday’s and the Leisureplex, and I believe people started entering from there thinking they could simply go through. Then more people saw the queue building up in there and thought it was the actual queue to Krispy Kreme. There’s a fence right in the middle of the car park where the traffic cones and the middle entrance is, and that hasn’t been opened ever throughout the whole night.”
Persichini said he witnessed people waiting for at least an hour before some people got out of theirs cars and asked Krispy Kreme reps who were helping to control the traffic. “They all turned around to exit through the same entrance next to TGI Friday’s, causing a gridlock and they all started beeping etc.,” Persichini said, “It’s just mad what people put up with to get some doughnuts.”
In a statement, Krispy Kreme Ireland apologized to residents for the “sleepless nights” they experienced as a result of “enthusiasm from some drive thru customers,” adding that it was doing what it could to reduce noise. This included reducing the number of cars queuing at night, installing signage that asks drive thru customers to be respectful of neighbors, and actively asking people to “contain their excitement” by not beeping their horn while they order.
The Irish Daily Star subsequently reported that Krispy Kreme announced it would close its drive thru facility from 11.30 pm until 6 am each day, following complaints from residents. Credit: Giacomo Persichini via Storyful
