An Enjoyable Visit to the New Krispy Kreme Doughnut Shop in Oxnard

The new Krispy Kreme Doughnut store in Oxnard opened in late September and it took me a couple months to get over there for the first time with my youngest son and his friend.

I do not consider myself to be a doughnut* connoisseur. As someone who exercises daily and tries to eat moderately healthy, donuts are an occasional extravagance. If someone brings a box of donuts to the office, for sure, I'll be one to partake. But I generally don't go out of my way for a donut.

There was a Krispy Kreme in Oxnard that closed its doors eight years ago; located on Rose Avenue, it is now a Chick-fil-A. I've tried Krispy Kreme doughnuts from time to time, but never actually stepped foot into a Krispy Kreme store.

So at 6PM on a Sunday night, we stopped by. I figured it would be quick. Drive by any donut shop in the Conejo Valley on a Sunday night, and, in the unlikely case the shop is open, there will not be many customers in there.

I was shocked. The place was bustling! There were at least 15 to 20 people in line. But we didn't mind the wait; it was actually kind of a unique experience waiting to purchase doughnuts at Krispy Kreme. Why? Because you get to see their signature glazed donuts made just a few feet away, through a full-length window. It was an impressive site that you just don't get to see at most other donut shops!

Freshly made doughnuts just a few feet away, tantalizing us.

We bought a dozen and a half doughnuts - glazed, filled and otherwise - packed to take home. The kids each ate a donut in the back seat. (Not to worry, we ate a healthy dinner at the massive Whole Foods Market at The Collection at RiverPark before the doughnut splurge.) From the back seat of the car I heard mostly "chomp, chomp, chomp" for a minute. Apparently the kids enjoyed them.

The doughnut celebration continued when we arrived home. My older son does not like donuts filled with anything...cream, jelly, etc., which is a good thing because I do enjoy such doughnuts. He opted for one of the fresh-baked glazed doughnuts. 

We're a bit partial to doughnuts filled with delicious innard like cream, custard and jelly.

You could not ask for a fresher doughnut than the glazed doughnuts from Krispy Kreme. Whereas all the other doughnuts are stored in bins, when you order the glazed doughnuts, they retrieve them from where they were just made, literally minutes ago.

So I asked my oldest if he enjoyed the doughnut. He said he barely had to bite it, it was so soft, moist and delicious. It practically melted in his mouth. Gotta eat them while they're hot.

I did notice that Krispy Kreme doughnuts are perhaps a bit more sweet than the average donut. I was ok with that, but based upon my review of the Krispy Kreme Oxnard Yelp page, I was not alone in that observation. Not everyone is a fan.

This is also 24/7 drive-thru Krispy Kreme. Other than Starbucks and other fast food eateries, this is the only drive-thru donut place that I'm aware of in the area. The line of cars did look particularly long though, perhaps due to the fact that only one customer at a time can determine which doughnuts will be occupying their Krispy Kreme box.

Our precious cargo was contained in these fancy boxes.

So while I won't necessarily drive 20 miles (40 miles round trip) out of my way for Krispy Kreme doughnuts, I would definitely take a detour off the 101 at the Vineyard offramp to indulge myself from time to time.

Krispy Kreme Oxnard is located at 220 Riverpark Boulevard (at Vineyard), next to a 24 hour McDonald's.  Store hours are 5:30am to 10pm Sunday through Thursday and 5:30am to midnight on Friday/Saturday and as mentioned previously, the drive-thru is open 24/7. Yes, if you're hungry and can't find anything in the Conejo Valley, do note that fresh doughnuts and McD's are available 24/7, 20 miles away in Oxnard.

* Krispy Kreme uses the more traditional spelling of "doughnut" vs the shortened spelling "donut" made more popular by Dunkin' Donuts, not to mention Winchell's Donuts, Yum Yum Donuts, Spudnuts Donuts and most every other donut shop in town! Here, we use the doughnut spelling when specifically referencing Krispy Kreme doughnuts.