ATLANTA – A historic Krispy Kreme Donuts shop owned by Shaquille O’Neal was engulfed in flames early Wednesday, severely damaging the structure.
Atlanta firefighters responded to the iconic restaurant on Ponce De Leon Avenue shortly after midnight, news outlets reported. Video posted on social media showed furious flames.
Battalion Commander Douglas Hatcher said firefighters saved most of the building after the fire started in the back. No injuries were reported. Hatcher said the cause of the fire was under investigation.
The Midtown Krispy Kreme opened in 1965. It was one of the first locations to be established outside of the company’s main base in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and Nashville, Tennessee.
After Martin Luther King Jr.’s funeral in April 1968, the Krispy Kreme fed mourners by donating 150 dozen donuts to churches in Atlanta. O’Neal bought the store in 2016.
“I hope no one has been hurt and that we will bounce back better than ever,” the Basketball Hall of Famer told WXIA-TV.