An Education at Doughnut University: At the Moment

The art and science of doughnut-making requires more than just a sweet tooth--hard work, and a good business sense are also necessary keys to success.

AT THE MOMENT
Stefan Stern is studying the sweet science of snack pastries at Krispy Kreme’s Doughnut University. After college, this Peruvian native and graduate of the American Baking Institute ran a successful bakery in Lima for seven years, but realized he still had some, um, holes in his education. “I knew a lot about running a small business but almost nothing about how to run a large corporation,” he says. “When you’re the boss you make all the decisions--which means you also make a lot of mistakes.” So he attended the University of North Carolina’s Kenan-Flagler B-School, then joined Krispy Kreme in nearby Winston-Salem, where’s he’s training to become divisional director for the company’s nascent Mexico operation. But attending Doughnut U. is no cakewalk. Every manager spends two weeks in class, followed by 14 weeks in stores doing everything from mopping floors to fixing the doughnut machine. Stern must spend another three months traveling with several divisional directors before he’s on his own. Though Stern says he’s learned dozens of new things at D.U., he looks forward to graduation no small affair, incidentally. “They give you a certificate and have a real ceremony. And, yes, they serve doughnuts.”