Firehouse Subs

opens; Krispy Kreme

delayed until October

The exterior of a Krispy Kreme doughnut shop on Center Street in Auburn, left, is
complete and set to open in late October. There is one other space yet to be
occupied in the small plaza with Cricket Wireless, which opened last month, and
Firehouse Subs, which opened Tuesday.

AUBURN Halloween treats may be extra hot

and gooey this year for doughnut lovers.
Following construction and permitting delays, the
new targeted opening date for Krispy Kreme on
Center Street is Oct. 31.
Developer Cort Mendez, president and CEO of NH
Glazed, said bids are going out and he expects to
have contracts signed in the next couple of weeks.
"Its just a vanilla box at this point," Mendez said.
"We now have all of the interior walls, bathrooms,
countertops, glass, flooring, that whole process to
do."
The build-out process takes about 10 weeks,
Mendez said. Mendez had originally hoped the
shop would open in May, but construction delays
and final design work slowed the project. Mendez
said the city of Auburn was not to blame for the
delay. While Krispy Kreme will not turn on its
iconic "Hot Now" light until fall, two other
businesses have opened in the same retail plaza at
410 Center St.
Firehouse Subs held its grand opening Tuesday.
The Auburn store is the franchise's fourth in
Maine, joining shops in Topsham, Biddeford and
Waterville.
Started by two brothers, both firefighters, in 1994,
Firehouse Subs has grown to nearly 1,100
restaurants in 44 states.
The third store, Cricket Wireless, has been open
for about a month, according to a store employee.
The Center Street plaza has space for one more
tenant, which Mendez hopes to fill soon.
"Perhaps a hair-cutting business would be the best
fit with the square footage available," Mendez
said.
Auburn will unlikely have bragging rights for the
first Krispy Kreme in Maine. That honor appears
headed to Saco, which is looking at a September
opening.