Krispy Kreme gives student 500 free boxes of doughnuts after shutting down his business

A student is receiving support from Krispy Kreme in the form of 500 boxes of doughnuts, after the company initially tried to shut him down for buying and reselling the treats.

Jayson Gonzalez, a 21-year-old from Minnesota, used to spend his weekends driving 540 miles round-trip to a Krispy Kreme store in Iowa, where he would purchase 100 boxes of doughnuts.

After returning to Minnesota, where there has not been a Krispy Kreme location for 11 years, he would then resell the pastries for $17 to $20 a box.

After covering the cost of his expenses, and tips for employees, Gonzalez would use the remaining money to pay for his college tuition.

However, in a Facebook post on his Krispy Kreme Run Minnesota page on 31 October, Gonzalez revealed that he’d received a call from a Nebraska location informing him that he had to “shut down operations”.

The doughnut chain’s decision prompted an outpouring of support for Gonzalez.

“Thank you for bringing us those delicious doughnuts, I'll definitely be contacting corporate and giving them a piece of my mind too,” one person commented. “Good luck on your future adventures!”

The public dismay captured the attention of Krispy Kreme, which responded to unhappy customers on Facebook: “We’ve become aware of Jayson’s situation, which involves one of our well-intended shops, and are looking into this.

“We appreciate Jayson’s passion for Krispy Kreme and spirit as he pursues his education.”

On Monday, the company decided to reverse its decision - and offer Gonzalez the opportunity to work with them as an independent operator.

Explaining in a statement to the Pioneer Press that the company’s initial decision was to “ensure product quality and regulatory compliance to protect both Jayson and Krispy Kreme,” Krispy Kreme added that it’s main concern is that the doughnuts Gonzalez sells “maintain our high product quality standards, given the distance and manner in which he is transporting and distributing them”.

“So, we are happy to work with Jayson as an independent operator to ensure consistent delivery for our high-quality doughnuts to our fans in Minnesota,” the company added. “We wish Jayson great success and we’re thrilled to help him achieve it by donating 500 dozen doughnuts when he restarts his business.”

Gonzalez shared the update with his fans on Facebook, where he called the company’s decision “breathtaking”.

“For everyone else involved in the community, it has been really cool to see all the comments, posts, advice, opportunities, articles, and the hype that has been spread,” Gonzalez wrote. “Moving forward, I’m really going to try and do my best, especially with the big launch. The goal is to continue to do it until I graduate, and hopefully pass it down to someone else that is in my position. It’s one of the first times in my life where it’s not just myself believing in me and my ideas. It’s an incredible feeling, so thank you.”

The college student also revealed that he is now in the market for a new, bigger vehicle to transport the doughnuts, as his fan base has grown. You can donate to his GoFundMe here.