Before joining a global coffee empire, Krispy Kreme opened its own Starbucks-style coffee shop - here's what it's like

Krispy Kreme ClemmonsDoughnuts being glazed at Krispy Kreme's Clemmons, North Carolina locationKrispy Kreme doesn't want to be Starbucks. However, the chain doubling down on its coffee business.

JAB Holding Company, the parent company of coffee brands including Caribou Coffee, Peet's Coffee and Tea, and Keurig Green Mountain, is buying Krispy Kreme Doughnuts for about $1.35 billion.

JAB has said it is on a mission to create a "global coffee platform." While Krispy Kreme is best known for its doughnuts, it has spent the last several months trying to grow its coffee business.

In October, the doughnut chain opened a new location in Clemmons, North Carolina with some serious coffee shop vibes, including vintage signs, natural wood, free WiFi, and a redesigned ordering system and seating area.

The concept store represented a major step forward in Krispy Kreme's plan to increase coffee sales, which make up about 5% of sales - a figure that CEO Tony Thompson told Business Insider in December he believes the company could double.

"We love to hear, 'We used to go to Starbucks, but this is pretty cool too,'" Thompson said in December, about the customers he meets at the Clemmons concept shop. "[Krispy Kreme is] not trying to go be a Starbucks. What we want out of this is, people are coming for the doughnut. We want to attach [coffee]."

While Krispy Kreme didn't immediately reply to a request for comment on how the sale to JAB would affect its coffee business, it's clear that the chain has been exploring ways to revamp it's coffee business since opening the Clemmons location.

Here's what Krispy Kreme's prototype for a more coffee-centric future looks like - and what it means for the future of the brand.