TAMPA BAY - Thorntons Inc. is gearing up for its first foray into the Florida marketplace, with plans to open a store previously occupied by a Krispy Kreme doughnut shop in Clearwater.

The Clearwater store is slated to open in late November, reports the Tampa Bay Times. Additional expansion plans call for 15 to 20 Thorntons convenience stores in the Tampa, St. Petersburg and Clearwater area over the next three years.

"Our goal is to have six stores open by the end of this year or early next year," John Zikias, senior vice president of supply chain and category management at Thorntons, told the news source.

Each store will be open 24 hours a day and the retailer is planning to add at least 300 jobs in the coming months.

Customers will be able to shop Thorntons for groceries and beverages, fresh foods, baked goods, money orders, gift cards and lottery tickets, according to the newspaper.

With its entry into Florida, Thorntons will increase its portfolio to six states.