Nathan carefully watches a huge line of doughnuts heading towards a cascade of powdered sugar. He has been doing this for almost two decades and can visually detect if the donut, as they call this pastry at the iconic Krispy Kreme, meets the strict standards that the US sweet brand demands for its product.
As the production manager, he has been in Spain for a month fine-tuning the machine that prepares these famous glazed doughnuts.
This is done in full view of everyone entering the store that the brand has just opened in the Parquesur shopping center. A 'theater,' as the company calls it, with which they 'inaugurate' their arrival in each country where they are present, and in Spain, it is the 42nd country.
"People have to see that it is a fresh product, made every day," says Manuel Zamudio, in charge of the arrival in our country and owner of 71% of the joint company that, along with Krispy Kreme (25%) and another investor (4%), has made this opening possible.
The landing in Spain, Manuel explains, has been cooked on a slow fire. "The first contacts were eight years ago, but negotiations started three years ago," he explains.
Three years during which the perfect location had to be found and a business plan for Spain had to be created. The former was resolved by opening in one of the busiest shopping centers in Spain, the Parquesur in Leganés.
There, they have set up this 'theater' of 600 square meters that will also serve as a workshop for the other three stores they plan to open before the end of the year. The initial investment has been around six million euros. "Our intention is to open between 45 and 50 stores in 5 years," he announces.
Before the public opening, Nathan and the rest of the team have been fine-tuning the machinery. Designed and manufactured by Krispy themselves in the United States, it is one of the brand's secrets along with the original recipe created by Vernon Rudolph in 1937 in North Carolina.
The formula not only includes the dough itself but also the characteristic glaze with which the pastry is coated. In total, each piece must weigh exactly 40 grams. A scale next to the glazing machine is used for weighing and recalibrating the machine if necessary.
Machinery that works 24 hours a day in three shifts. "The strongest shift is from 10 pm to 7 am, so there are fresh donuts right at the start of the day," he explains.
In this theater, right in front of a small stage, customers can see how the dough is shaped, how it rises to the ideal size, and how it is fried just before receiving its characteristic glaze. The final step before taking it to the counter involves a slight temperature drop process. A red sign will announce, with the words Hot Now, that a new batch is ready.
The entire process, from mixing the ingredients to placing the pastry on the counter, takes "approximately an hour and a half," points out Miguel Méndez, operations director.
Everything is absolutely precise, from the minutes the dough rests to the time each one takes to be glazed. Nathan himself makes the final adjustments to the machine before the official opening on October 2nd. The first customers that day will receive a voucher for a dozen donuts every week of the year.
"We have to be absolutely faithful to the original recipe," Zamudio says. "The operational manual and the recipe are untouchable," he adds. The brand also subjects them to regular inspections to verify that everything is exactly the same as the donut served in the United States. In Spain, more than 100 people work across all areas.
Although in the hundred or so stores in the United States there are several dozen fillings and glazes, in our country, the initial offer has been limited to a dozen. One of them, covered with Nocilla, can only be enjoyed in Spain.