NEW KRISPY KREME BRINGS PALMDALE HOT DOUGHNUTS NOW.

Scores of Krispy Kreme fans waited for hours to get the first doughnuts sold by the chain's new Palmdale store.

Some 70 people were in line outside the front door and 20 vehicles were waiting at the drive-up window when the doors opened at 5:30 a.m. Tuesday.

Employees applauded as the people walked in.

``It's always very exciting to open the doors for the first time,'' said Roger Glickman, president of Krispy Kreme's Southern California franchisee, who greeted customers inside the store.

First in line was an SR Technics project manager, who bought 550 doughnuts for co-workers at the Palmdale airliner modification plant.

Sherman Lee arrived at 7:30 p.m., 10 hours before the doors opened, to make sure he'd be first in line. The next customers showed up about midnight.

Lee said SR Technics employees were introduced to Krispy Kremes by a tooling company representative who brings them on her visits.

``When she shows up the first thing we do is determine if she has any doughnuts. Security will call us. We'll run out and say, Is there anything you need help with, like those Krispy Kremes,'' Lee said.

Behind Lee were teen-agers from the youth group at First Assembly of God in Lancaster, who said they came mainly because there wasn't anything else to do in Lancaster.

They said Krispy Kreme employees took pity on the waiting customers early Tuesday.

``They came out and gave us a doughnut about 3. Every time somebody walked out we'd say, can we have a sample,'' said Natalie Langjahr, 19, of Lancaster.

Based in North Carolina, Krispy Kreme is said to have veen a favorite of Elvis Presley, as wel as preferred by fomer President Bill Clinton.

The Palmdale store is the 14th operated by Great Circle Family Foods, the Southern California franchise.

Great Circle has an agreement to open 42 stores over seven years. Its next month in Oxnard, and it has plans for one in Burbank.

Antelope Valley can probably support two Krispy Kreme shops, Glickman said. The Palmdale location, at 540 W. Ave. P, has an advantage in its proximity to the Antelope Valley Mall and other shopping centers, he said.

The Palmdale shop resembles other Southern California Krispy Kremes: a 4,000-square-foot store with drive-up window and the signature ``Hot Doughtnuts Now'' neon sign that lights up from 5:30 to 11 a.m. and 5 to 11 p.m. With a staff of more than 100, the store will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Great Circle opened the first Southern California Krispy Kreme in January 1999 in La Habra. It now has stores spread from Bakersfield to San Diego. The closest to Palmdale is 58 miles south in Van Nuys.

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4 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color -- ran in AV edition only) An estimated 20 vehicles wait outside Palmdale's new Krispy Kreme before the store opened its doors for the first time at 5:30 Tuesday morning.

(2 -- ran in AV edition only) Sherman Lee was the first through the doors of the new Krispy Kreme on Tuesday, he bought more than 500 doughnuts.

(3 -- ran in AV edition only) Roughly 70 people, many Lancaster students, wait for the doors of Palmdale's new Krispy Kreme to open Tuesday.

(4 -- ran in AV edition only) With a staff of more than 100, Palmdale's new Krispy Kreme was a hit with doughnut lovers at its opening Tuesday morning.

Jeff Goldwater/Staff Photographer