Krispy Kreme plans to return to Minnesota with a Fridley location

Glazed donut lovers can rest assured: Krispy Kreme is making a comeback in Minnesota.

The Minneapolis/St. The Paul Business Journal broke the news on Thursday.

The multinational donut and coffee chain is seeking construction bids for a location in Fridley. It would replace a former CVS at the intersection of I-694 and University Avenue Southeast.

According to Stacy Stromberg, the city's planning director, a building permit for an interior and exterior remodel was submitted to the city in late September and is expected to be approved by the end of the month. She said construction could begin this year.

Stromberg confirmed the location will feature retail, a dining area and a drive-thru area. The building will also contain a “doughnut factory” that will produce donuts for other locations. Krispy Kreme announced earlier this year that it expects to sell donuts at McDonald's restaurants nationwide by the end of 2026.

According to the Pioneer Press, many Minnesotans have turned to Krispy Kreme since its departure in 2008.

It was so serious that an enterprising college student found success in 2019 when he drove to Iowa — supposedly the closest place to Krispy Kreme — to buy hundreds of donuts and resell them to customers in the Twin Cities area. Krispy Kreme initially told him to stop but later allowed him to continue.

Krispy Kreme Donut Corp. has yet to respond to a request from MPR News for more information about the new location (and their opinion on Donut vs. Donut).