1 million doughnuts later: Krispy Kreme Fort Myers opening is one for the record books

907,200. 

That's a lot of doughnuts. Give or take. 

The kicker: Those 907,200 or so doughnuts were sold in just two weeks. That explains the traffic. It explains the police cars directing it. It explains the long lines that still persist 20-some days later. 

The Oct. 16 opening of Krispy Kreme in Fort Myers has been, well, hot glazed insanity. 

"It's been overwhelming to say the least," franchise partner Chris D'Angelo said. 

"It's exceeded all our expectations. We still can't get over how much support we've gotten and how much excitement we've seen from the community."

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D'Angelo said the Fort Myers opening has been one for the record books. It's the best debut he and his family's franchise group have ever seen in Florida. It's even earned them accolades from Krispy Kreme's corporate offices. 

The franchisees say, despite the near-endless lines, customers have shown an extraordinary amount of patience and civility.

"That’s the power of the brand," franchisee Marialana Lococo said. 

"We have a lot of customers who hadn’t had a hot Krispy Kreme doughnut for years, who were so excited to have that experience again. And we've had so many customers who'd never experienced a hot doughnut, and we've been able to provide that."

The long lines are due to a combination of demand, singularity of supply and sheer hot-doughnut greed.

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Lococo said customers don't come in for one doughnut or even one dozen. They're ordering multiple dozens, of the classic hot glazed as well as the shop's 15-or-so other assorted flavors (chocolate-iced is the No. 2 best seller). There are also coffee drinks, smoothies and bagels to peruse. 

And some are taking their sweet time to mull over the options. 

"We're not rushing anyone," D'Angelo said. "Our target is two minutes. That’s what we strive for from the time they place their order to the time they check out."

The store is getting closer to that goal, the partners said. But there's little they can do about the pure volume of demand. 

For customers who have shied away because of the lines, Lococo offered these insider tips:

• Park and go inside: The drive-thru has had the longest lines and the longest average wait times. Head inside for faster service. 
• Doughnuts in the dark: Go after 8 p.m. on weeknights and there's a good chance you'll get in quickly. Weekend traffic dies down closer to 10 p.m.
• Better yet: midnight-snack doughnuts. Lococo said the 24-hour drive-thru is almost always empty between midnight and 6 a.m.
• Hot doughnuts always: The shop has its machines running 24/7 to keep up with demand. So customers will always be able to get a fresh, hot-from-the-line doughnut.

Aside from doughnuts, the request the franchise partners hear most is for them to open more Southwest Florida stores. They've had customers come from Port Charlotte, Lehigh Acres, Cape Coral and Naples.

They say plans are already in place to expand. It's just a matter of where. 

"I’ve heard so many times, 'When are you coming to Naples? When are you coming to Cape Coral?'" franchisee Jim Cosentino said. 

The partners said they are actively looking for additional locations, and hope to have a second store opened within the next year. 

But for now, they've got plenty of doughnuts to fry in Fort Myers.  

"We're still catching our breath from this one," D'Angelo said. "It's been trial by fire for our staff and we can't commend them enough for their hard work. 

"Everyone's been so warm and welcoming. It's been overwhelming in every way."

Connect with this reporter: @ATometich (Twitter)

If you go: Krispy Kreme 

Address: 4904 S. Cleveland Ave., Fort Myers

Doughnut prices: $9.99 for one dozen glazed doughnuts; $15.99 opening special for two dozen glazed or a dozen glazed and a dozen assorted

Hours: Drive-thru is open 24 hours; dining room is open 6 a.m. till late depending on business

More: krispykreme.com