The Saratoga Planning Commission has approved an application by the company to set up a drive-through store at the corner of Prospect Road and Lawrence Expressway.

Diane Zimmerman, real estate manager for Krispy Kreme Doughnut Corporation, said, "We hope to have the store up and running as soon as possible." She indicated that the company was looking at a November or December opening.

Currently, Krispy Kreme fans can choose between an outlet in Mountain View or Union City or try some supermarkets that stock them.

The company plans to demolish the existing building that occupies 3,960 square feet and build a new building that will accommodate 4,090 square feet. The old building used to house a Wherehouse record store before it closed. A store selling rugs has been operating most recently at the location.

The new building project involves renovation of the existing parking area. "An improved circulation pattern and new landscaping will enhance the appearance of the shopping center," said John Livingstone, associate planner for the city of Saratoga.

There is a plan to install decorative fencing along Lawrence Expressway.

The outlet will provide both a walk-in and a drive-through service that will be open 24 hours a day and sell doughnuts, beverages and related items. The current floor plan includes a seating area and an area where customers can view the doughnut-making process. The plan also provides for outdoor seating.

The one-story stucco building will be 20 feet high and compatible with other structures in the area. According to Livingstone, the company has committed to repainting the entire shopping complex once the store is open so that the new structure blends in with the existing structures.

Spaces for 10 vehicles are being provided for in the drive-through. Linda Rodgers of the planning commission raised some concerns about traffic to the outlet spilling onto Prospect Road during peak hours.

The company plans to remove four trees in the area. The city arborist has recommended replacing the trees. The project has passed the environmental review and the design review criteria.

Zimmerman said that 10 percent of the first-day sales at the outlet would go to a local nonprofit, preferably an organization related to children. Krispy Kreme also has a fundraising plan for schools and nonprofits through which the organizations buy doughnuts for half-price and sell them at full price, keeping the profits.

"We haven't decided on a nonprofit, but we are always open to suggestions," said Lorraine Morton-Feazell, market manager of Northern California for the company. She also indicated that there would be some amount of local advertising before the store opens.

Krispy Kreme was born on July 13, 1937, when Vernon Rudolph bought a secret doughnut recipe from a French chef in New Orleans and started a store in Old Salem in Winston-Salem, N.C. He sold to local grocery stores at first, but then people began to stop by and ask for hot doughnuts. It was then that he started selling hot, glazed doughnuts directly to customers. In the 1990s, the company began to expand outside the Southeast.

The first California store opened in 1999. The first Northern California store opened in March 2000 in Union City.

And as with Krispy Kreme stores everywhere, the store will have a sign to let passersby know when hot doughnuts are being made.