ATLANTA — A beloved Atlanta landmark is expected to be rebuilt this summer after it was the victim of two fires in 2021.
The Krispy Kreme, which was a mainstay on Ponce De Leon Ave. before an arsonist destroyed it, will reopen this summer, the company announced in a news release.
The business has been closed since February 2021, when the store was intentionally set on fire along the exterior of the building but quickly spread inside, according to fire investigators. Krispy Kreme did have a pop-up store that was open from December 2021 to April 2022, but that has since been closed.
The new shop will be 4,000 square feet and will have new amenities such as an interior custom mural and plaque, a refurbished Krispy Kreme sign and more.
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NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal owned the store before it burned down and will once again own it when it reopens this summer.
“We’re bouncing back better than I even imagined,” O’Neal said. “I can’t wait to turn on the Hot Light. It’s gonna light up the whole neighborhood. Get ready, Ponce!”
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The store has been at the site for more than 60 years. After Martin Luther King Jr.’s funeral in April 1968, the Krispy Kreme fed mourners by donating 150 dozen donuts to Atlanta churches.
More information about the grand opening will be released later this year, the company said.
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