Partners
High
standards and flexibility combined into success
The Krispy Kreme franchise in Panama makes the most out of the global support from the company’s headquarters and brings its own creative twist, delivering astonishing results Produced by Jassen Pintado
Written by Mateo Rafael Tablado
Interviewee Eduardo Escobar, General Manager of Krispy Kreme in Panama
Food
Krispy Kreme
T
he Krispy Kreme
purchase Krispy Kreme products. This
brand was created
earned Krispy Kreme Panama the Best
more than 80 years
Opening Worldwide award in 2017, on
ago in North Carolina, behalf of the company’s headquarters. with the original
“This event thrusted us into the
glazed donut as
news for weeks after the opening,”
its cornerstone.
commented Eduardo Escobar, General
Throughout the years, Manager of Krispy Kreme in Panama.
the company’s expansion has led to presence in more than 35 countries. The successful run for the Krispy Kreme franchise in Panama began with
leadership Originally from El Salvador, Eduardo
the opening of its first store in 2017,
Escobar earned a Bachelor’s degree
located in the Costa del Este exclusive
in Marketing from Dr. José Matías
residential area. Five years later, Krispy
Delgado University, in his home
Kreme has nine stores in Panama City.
country. Escobar also obtained an
Before the first location opened its
MBA from the Francisco de Vitoria
doors, the Bárcenas Group worked for
University (Madrid, Spain). His body
two years in preparation to launch the
of work includes stints in industries
brand after obtaining authorization on
such as real estate, advertising and
behalf of Krispy Kreme to operate the
for global brands such as Pizza Hut
franchise in Panama.
(in El Salvador and Guatemala), KFC
The store’s opening attracted lines of 500 to 600 customers, eager to
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Creative, experienced
(Guatemala) and for Krispy Kreme, in Panama.
Food
Krispy Kreme
Our specialty is creating experiences, making donuts and selling them - Eduardo Escobar, General Manager for Krispy Kreme in Panama
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Krispy Kreme
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Besides the Best Opening Worldwide award in 2017 and a “Melonhead” for
Krispy Kreme is no different
achievements in innovation -both from
from other franchises in regards to
Krispy Kreme-, Escobar was selected
keeping every single detail consistent
by Central America’s “Estrategia y
with the brand’s concepts besides
Negocios” magazine as one of the
product quality.
100 leaders in marketing for this
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Standards and flexibility
But the brand’s flexibility allows
territory after introducing Krispy
blending with local culture to
Kreme in Panama.
improve its positioning, allowing also
Food
Krispy Kreme
adaptations into local vernacular along
took place in popular places in town,
other efforts contributing to reaching
shopping centers, points of interest,
the brand’s target audience.
plazas, busy streets and avenues.
One of the brilliant strategies linking the brand with the city of Panama’s inhabitants was the activation
A timely, transparent operation The joy for Krispy Kreme products
campaign in which entire boxes filled
lies in its freshness, the bakery
with products derived from new hires’
delivers new products twice a
training sessions were given away. This
day (mornings and evenings),
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Perfíl de Proveedor
N u m b e r o f E m p l o ye e s : 12
Ye a r E s t a b l i s h e d : 2021
Industr y: Logística y Distribución
Main Ser vices: S e r p r o ve e d o r d e t o d a l a c a d e n a d e s u m i n i s t r o d e t u n e g o c i o (c o m p r a s , i m p o r t a c i ó n , a l m a c e n a j e , ve n t a s y d i s t r i b u c i ó n) . ¡ S o l o d e d í c a t e a ve n d e r !
Recent Projects: Incorporación a nuestro por tafolio de clientes ser el operador logístico en Panamá de la franquicia internacional Krispy Kreme
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Food
Krispy Kreme
guaranteeing freshness to every
developed hidden stores which
customer.
increased coverage for delivery orders.
Most of the Krispy Kreme locations
The strategy consisted in renting
open to the public are also bakeries,
low-cost properties where finished
and customers can take their children
products are delivered every day and
to witness the production process
set up to prepare beverages from
before buying just-baked products.
the menu without being open to the
Bakery stores display a “Hot Now”
public. These locations are intended
neon sign, letting customers know
for delivery-only purchases.
that doughnuts are just leaving the production line.
The dark kitchen strategy earned an award for innovation from the brand’s headquarters in early 2021.
Dark kitchen, an award-winning strategy Krispy Kreme’s headquarters also displayed its flexibility by allowing
Centralized supply for quality control Consumables and materials for
the Panama franchise to run its “dark
preparation of Krispy Kreme products
kitchen”, a model which -with more or
are centralized in the company
less variations, even in the concept’s
headquarters in North Carolina,
name- has gained popularity in the
ensuring the best available ingredients
industry. The Panamanian operation
for each donut’s production. Global
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Krispy Kreme
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orders are collected and sent on
the same quality in every market for
consolidated freight in high volumes.
product quality, brand identity and
The company deals directly with
other matters.
suppliers, which results in all ingredients being imported into
Each department in every country can access the staff at the
Panama. Making these goods reach its headquarters directly to deal with final destination is a different matter. “In this part is where local strategic
specific subjects in every area. The data exchange is a key
partners rise to the occasion, as
aspect, as the company shares
it happens with our raw material
specific KPIs monthly, with leading
distributor. Our specialty is creating
markets exchanging information to
experiences, making donuts and
be applied in countries with room
selling them, theirs is logistics,” the
for improvement in certain aspects,
executive explained.
adding to best practices. This way, information does not flow only
Global support network As well as global standards are carefully maintained as a brand, in the same way Krispy Kreme offers wide
between headquarters and global locations, but also among operations in each country. “We are able to propose pilot
support in every area to its affiliates,
programs, and if one of them works,
be it training, marketing, operations,
then these are escalable at a global
human resources and others, including level; like the dark kitchens, a program location architecture, maintaining
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we were authorized to test-run, it
Krispy Kreme
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The challenge for ourselves is to innovate, and reinvent ourselves continuously - Eduardo Escobar, General Manager for Krispy Kreme in Panama
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Krispy Kreme
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Food
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Krispy Kreme
The dark kitchens worked, we earned an award,
and now it’s going to be implemented worldwide - Eduardo Escobar, General Manager for Krispy Kreme in Panama
worked, we earned an award, and
Kreme Panama first reopened
now it’s going to be implemented
once a week, then twice a week,
worldwide,” Escobar declared.
until the operation could run on a daily basis again.
Surpassing the pandemic Consequences from COVID19 were
Within the company, some movements contributed to discovering
felt worldwide. Panama stands out for
new skills within the hired staff, which
having enforced very strict measures,
shares a commitment to pull together
including a six-month quarantine when through difficult times and has the pandemic just began. Compliance with these measures
positively transformed some habits. “The pandemic contributed to
implied a halt in operations until the
reinventing ourselves as a company,
government began to allow a gradual
to reinvent processes, to reinvent our
opening to essential activities. Krispy
structure,” the executive added.
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New hires with a purpose Krispy Kreme’s support to its
the pandemic, and the company stepped up to make sure the entire
personnel in Panama is displayed
staff could take home that same
with actions going farther than
amount of money.
existing commitments by law. The
But probably the most notable
company has gone the extra mile for
contribution Krispy Kreme provides
employees that also deliver an extra
to its staff is the future plans for new
effort. One of these examples came
hires, considering mid- and long-
when not every employee qualified for
term paths. The company plans
government’s stimulus payment during the possibility of climbing to new
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Food
Krispy Kreme
All ingredients are supplied f ro m t h e b ra n d’s headquar ters, ensur ing product qualit y wor ldwide
positions since prospect evaluation
strength and heart lies within
and hiring. This strategy has delivered
the people working for us,”
valuable results not only in operational
Escobar commented.
positions, but also for management roles, as there are team members who have reached mid-management
Expansion and challenges Beyond previously-set goals, the
positions after entering the company
pandemic became a game-changer
two levels below.
in every industry. In Panama’s case,
“The company has a focus on its staff, we know that the company’s
Krispy Kreme’s strongest competitor, precisely in the doughnut specialty,
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closed its operations countrywide,
production level. This goal is being
which does not necessarily translate
achieved successfully.
into good news, since it was also a global brand. This drove Krispy
expanding the business along
Kreme Panama into setting a series of
Panama, going beyond the nine stores
challenges in which its main reference
currently operating in the country’s
is its own operation.
capital.
On one side, a 100% recovery plan was set for 2021, reaching the same
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And the other goal is to keep
The management’s vision is to keep evolving, coming up with better
Krispy Kreme
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K r ispy K reme creates devel opment p lans fo r new hi res
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Krispy Kreme
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The company has a focus on its staff, we know that the company’s strength and heart lies within the people working for us - Eduardo Escobar, General Manager for Krispy Kreme in Panama
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Food
FOUNDED:
1937 (in the U.S.)
INDUSTRY:
Food WEBPAGE: www.krispykremepanama.com
ideas to remain in the market as a relevant, appealing brand, far from believing that less competition will turn them into the only option for consumers. “The challenge for ourselves is to innovate and reinvent ourselves continuously,” concluded Eduardo Escobar, General Manager for Krispy Kreme in Panama.
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www.krispykremepanama.com (+507) 309-8503