It’s Lit, Y’all: The Twice Fire-Ravaged Krispy Kreme Reopens on Ponce October 10

The long nightmare is over, Atlanta. The Krispy Kreme on Ponce de Leon Avenue is finally reopening after two years Tuesday, October 10. With the flick of a switch, the “Hot Doughnuts Now” sign will once again light the way to the twice fire-ravaged, Shaq-owned Krispy Kreme and its brand new digs in Midtown.

Gone is the nostalgic design of the old doughnut shop in favor of a modern (albeit suburban feeling) look, allowing for more natural light and more seating inside and outside. But part of the shop’s storied past on Ponce does remain intact. The iconic Krispy Kreme sign that stood outside the historic doughnut shop for nearly six decades has been restored and a mural inside nods to the former building in its glory days.

Krispy Kreme

Krispy Kreme

Krispy Kreme first opened on Ponce de Leon Avenue in 1965. Shaquille O’Neal purchased the landmark doughnut shop in 2016 as part of a franchise deal the basketball legend and sports commentator struck with the North Carolina-based doughnut chain. He remains a partial owner.

Two separate fires in 2021 caused catastrophic damage to the Ponce Krispy Kreme, leading to its closure and fears the doughnut shop would never reopen. Investigators ruled arson as the cause of the February 2021 fire. Nearly six months later, a second fire caused further damage and led to the decision to demolish the building and start from scratch. While no evidence of arson was found, investigators deemed the circumstances surrounding the July 2021 fire as “suspicious.”

The Ponce Krispy Kreme included a 24-hour drive-thru window and was the only kosher-certified location within the city limits at the time of the first fire in 2021. The drive-thru window at the newly rebuilt Ponce location won’t be operating 24/7. However, it’s still kosher certified.

295 Ponce De Leon Avenue, Atlanta.

Open Sunday - Thursday, 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.