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Krispy Kreme Returning to Chicago
One of the more notable casualties of the recession is returning to the Chicago market. Krispy Kreme doughnuts signed an agreement with Chicagoland Restaurants to open eight stores in Chicago and suburban Cook County over the next few years. The Southern glazed doughnut chain with the ubiquitous neon "Hot Now" signs expanded too far and fast nationally after going public in 2000 before filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 2007. Chicagoland Restaurants president Rogelio Tovar told the Tribune doughnut sales have recovered nationally and have shown gains the past three years, which bodes well for Krispy Kreme's Chicago re-entry if Tovar and Krispy Kreme don't saturate the brand's local presence again. [Trib]
