DOTHAN, Ala. — A rare Alabama snowstorm set the stage for an unforgettable birth last month, when a baby boy was delivered in the parking lot of a Krispy Kreme doughnut shop in Dothan.
Sha’Nya Bennett and her boyfriend, Keon Mitchell, were rushing to Flowers Hospital on Jan. 22 as Bennett went into labor. However, their son, Dallas, couldn’t wait. With 911 operators on the phone for guidance, Mitchell delivered the baby in the car parked outside the iconic doughnut chain.
The snowstorm, which brought 6 inches of snow to Dothan—a city unaccustomed to such weather—created a dramatic backdrop for the birth. Dallas weighed 5 pounds, 14 ounces and was safely transported to the hospital shortly after his arrival.
Krispy Kreme has since embraced the unique event. The company offered the family free doughnuts for a year and promised to host Dallas’s birthday parties annually until he grows up. The family has affectionately nicknamed him “Glaze,” a nod to his birthplace.
Krispy Kreme, founded in 1937 by Vernon Rudolph in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, has long been a beloved brand in the South and beyond. Rudolph began selling his now-famous yeast-raised doughnuts using a secret recipe from a New Orleans chef. Over the years, Krispy Kreme has expanded globally while maintaining its reputation for fresh, hot doughnuts.
Dallas’s birth adds a new chapter to Krispy Kreme’s storied history—and perhaps even its first instance of being listed as a birthplace on a birth certificate.
For now, Bennett and Mitchell are enjoying their sweet new addition while Krispy Kreme fans celebrate this heartwarming story of life and community during an extraordinary Alabama snowstorm.