What does a donut have to do with having a great Branson experience?

Everything!

As the Ole Seagull sat and watched the Krispy Kreme employees greet and serve their guests on Saturday, December 13, 2025, he thought, “What a wonderful way for our guests to begin their day in Branson. If they are treated the same wherever they go and whatever they do, they are sure to have memories that will bring them back to Branson again and again.”

Some might say, “But it’s only a donut shop. All they serve is donuts. How could that possibly impact their Branson experience?” To that, an Ole Seagull would say that the total Branson experience of its guests is made up of “tangibles” and “intangibles.” For over three hours and a constant flow of guests, the Ole Seagull saw the Krispy Kreme team hit the bullseye for each and every guest, guest after guest, without fail.

The tangibles are the “things.” The “intangibles” represent the environment and manner in which the “tangibles” are presented, and how they impact guests’ feelings as they participate in various activities. In the case of the donut shop, the tangible is “the donut.” The intangibles are things such as cleanliness, level of customer service, a friendly smile and greeting, etc., which can either add to or subtract from the guest’s overall experience.

With great live shows such as The Haygoods, Branson’s Famous Baldknobbers, SIX and Grand Jubilee, to Silver Dollar City, world-class shopping, and activities as varied and unique as the Grand Country’s Fun Spot, The Truth Travelers, the World’s Largest Toy Museum Complex, and so much more there is no problem with “things” to do in Branson. Per mile, Branson probably has more “things” for people to do and enjoy than any other tourist destination in the nation. In Ole Seagull’s opinion, if a person can’t find a way to have fun or be entertained in Branson, they have insatiable issues.

But, as unique as some of the things in Branson are, many other popular tourist destinations also offer similar competing things to do. Branson spends millions of dollars marketing to bring guests to Branson, and primarily, it’s the things to do that attract and bring them. The Ole Seagull would suggest that once they are here, it’s the intangibles of how those things are presented to them that will create the memories that will bring them back again and again.

As he sat in that donut shop, he witnessed dozens of people come through the door just looking to have a doughnut. They walked into a clean, efficiently run establishment and were served exactly what they went in for: one or more donuts and drinks. But to an Ole Seagull, they and he go so much more.

It was pure joy to sit in there for three hours, watching the Krispy Kreme team meet, greet and serve their guests not only with the donuts they came in for but with a healthy dose of that Branson spirit that could turn a simple donut into a memorable experience. In the three hours he was there, the Ole Seagull saw each customer greeted like the person greeting them as actually happy to see them, waited on in a patient and friendly manner. More importantly, he saw a smile on just about every face as the guests left.

One thing especially stood out. The lack of cell phones among those who chose to stay and eat their donuts in the shop. There were so many conversations going on, people laughing and talking and simply enjoying themselves and each other. Now, it might have been that there were no cell phones, because it’s kind of messy to work with a cell phone while eating a donut. Still, it was a joy to see families and folks just talking to and enjoying each other without the cell phone out.

One can only wonder how many of those who came into Krispy Kreme that morning will remember that experience, or if it will play even a small part in their deciding to come back to Branson in the future. An Ole Seagull has to believe that the majority of the folks that he saw just coming in for a donut will remember the experience as part of the overall Branson experience and that if the rest of their Branson experiences are the same, they will come back to Branson for that one thing that other tourist destinations don’t have. That spirit and desire to help them and their families create memories worth remembering and returning to again and again!

Note: All the staff at Krispy Kreme saw that day was a frustrated old man, with a big floppy ear muff cap, no “Ole Seagull cap,” asked permission to sit in their establishment while he waited for a tow truck to come into their parking lot and pick up his vehicle. He will not forget their kindness or concern, or that he saw that same concern reflected in the way they treated every guest they served.