Adam Brasher has been camping in the Krispy Kreme parking lot since Friday, May 6.
Krispy Kreme on Opelika Road is offering a dozen free doughnuts every week for a year for the first person in line at its Tuesday, May 10 grand opening. That was enough motivation for Brasher, junior in biology.
Brasher, junior in organismal biology, said he drove to Montgomery and Columbus, Georgia to get Krispy Kreme doughnuts on multiple occasions during the school year, so when he heard of one opening in Auburn, he was more than excited.
“Someone is going to be crazy enough to camp all weekend in front of Krispy Kreme,” Brasher joked. “I love Krispy Kreme so it might as well be me and now I am known as the ‘crazy Krispy Kreme guy.'”
Brasher has never camped before and prepared for the long weekend by buying a tent, sleeping bag, a couple cases of water and Trail Mix.
“I’ve never done it before so I didn’t know the ropes,” Brasher said. “But it can’t be that hard, so I kind of winged it a little bit.”
The Krispy Kreme staff gave Brasher coolers for his drinks and a few test run doughnuts in thanks for his support.
Onlookers drove by waving, honking and snapping pictures of the people waiting and the crowd cheered backed with enthusiasm.
“People have come by and have given me random stuff and one couple even gave me McDonald's,” Brasher said with a smile on his face and a Frisbee in his hand. “People have been super nice, are coming together and being super supportive. It’s been great.”
Krispy Kreme offered the next 99 people in line a dozen free doughnuts once per month for a year and, as of Monday afternoon, well over a hundred people were waiting.
Second in line was father, Allen Blakenship, who arrived Saturday morning. When he saw that Brasher was in line already he came back that evening with his daughter to be second.
“When I saw Adam here on Saturday morning I offered him $500 for his spot and he turned me down,” Blankenship said. “He didn’t even hesitate.”
Blankenship was at the opening of the Montgomery Krispy Kreme more than 20 years ago and thought the opening at the Auburn location would be a fun father-daughter camp out trip.
The competition between Brasher and Blakenship goes past a love of doughnuts.
Brasher has an Auburn flag hanging on his tent; Blakenship family is camping in a University of Alabama tent.
“We are all family out here and we are here for the experience," Brasher said despite the rivalry.
Jennifer Starck, senior in exercise science, is No. 99 in line.
“We all had a dance party and it was so much fun," Starck said. "We also ran around to get exercise while we were bored. We all have tents pitched up and are ready for the doughnuts coming at 6 a.m.”
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