Krispy Kreme said late Tuesday it has filed for a confidential initial public offering with U.S. securities regulators, which would bring the doughnut and coffee chain back to equity markets after a run as a public company that ended five years ago.
The number of shares to be offered and the price range for the proposed offering have not yet been determined, the company said. Krispy Kreme was public from 2000 to 2016.
In May 2016, privately held German conglomerate JAB Holdings Co. announced it was acquiring the company in a deal valued at $1.35 billion. The conglomerate holds stakes in several fast-casual restaurant chains, coffee and beverage companies, vet hospitals and others.
The Winston-Salem, N.C.-based doughnut chain made waves earlier this year when it offered a free doughnut to anyone showing their COVID-19 vaccination record card.