ATLANTA — The iconic Krispy Kreme on Ponce de Leon Avenue caught fire twice this year is being be demolished.
Demolition permits were previously filed with the city. However, they do plan to rebuild.
The first fire happened in February and the shop was heavily damaged. Atlanta Fire Rescue confirmed two employees were inside the building when the fire broke out and escaped.
During the investigation, officials said they believed the fire was intentionally set.
In the second fire that happened in May, video showed the smoke shooting from the roof of the building. No injuries were reported. Authorities said they believed the fire started in the kitchen area and spread to part of the attic.
This historic location opened more than 60 years ago, the same year as Atlanta Fulton County Stadium in 1965. It was one of the first Krispy Kreme locations established outside the young company's main bases of operation in Winston-Salem, N.C. and Nashville.
The store has long been a fixture in the fabric of Atlanta life - when thousands of mourners came to the city for Martin Luther King, Jr.'s funeral in April 1968, the Krispy Kreme donated 150 dozen donuts to local churches who were trying to keep the people fed.
The doughnut shop is owned by former NBA star Shaquille O'Neal.