Basketball superstar Shaq now owns a Krispy Kreme
Fox Foodie: Alan Rosen, Abraham Conlon weigh in on celebrities in the culinary world plus a coffee shop that charges customers by the hour
Newly inducted basketball Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal has always been a lifelong fan of Krispy Kreme doughnuts.
Now, Shaq can add sweet shop entrepreneur to his diverse portfolio of accomplishments.
On Monday, Krispy Kreme announced that Shaq is now officially the owner of a downtown Atlanta franchise. The doughnut shop on Ponce de Leon Avenue opened more than 60 years ago (the company turns 80 this year). He’s also signed on as a company spokesman.
O'Neal and Krispy Kreme CEO Tony Thompson are both Louisiana State Uuniversity graduates. During a chance meeting on the sideline of an LSU football game last year, they struck up a conversation, and Shaq reportedly expressed an interest in having a formal role with the company. Now that sideline conversation has turned into a reality.
To celebrate O’Neal joining the Krispy Kreme brand, the company announced a “Shaq-or-Treat” social media promotion for Halloween. Krispy Kreme fans who tag their Halloween social media posts with #ShaqOrTreat between Oct. 28 and 31 will be eligible to win Shaq-autographed prizes or other sweet surprises from the doughnut chain.
The basketball star has reportedly always been a fan of Krispy Kreme and is known to have quite the sweet tooth. In 2014, he appeared in a promotional spot for Easy Bake Oven.
In September, O’Neal was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame after 19 years in the NBA.
Fun stories about food, relationships, the great outdoors and more.