Krispy Kreme

Marketing

McDonald's is taking its Krispy Kreme partnership national

The fast-food giant said it plans a phased rollout of Krispy Kreme doughnuts at its restaurants across the country by the end of 2026.

Financing

McDonald's adds doughnuts, and some uncertainty, to the menu

The Bottom Line: Krispy Kreme gets a massive win with its McDonald's doughnut deal. But the payoff is less certain, and a long way off, for the fast-food restaurant chain.

The chain, which wants to sell its doughnuts out of more McDonald's locations, is now looking to open new shops to build capacity while it also works to improve manufacturing and logistics.

The burger giant has been selling Krispy Kreme doughnuts out of its Kentucky restaurants for months. Now they’re apparently talking about an expansion.

The Charlotte-based company said that a sale of the cookie delivery company five years after acquiring the chain would “unlock shareholder value.”

The company’s chief operating officer will take the top job in January. Current CEO Mike Tattersfield will remain on the board and will serve as a senior advisor.

The doughnut chain is an “affordable luxury” that people gather to enjoy. Its competitors are not just Dunkin’ and other doughnut concepts but cake makers and even florists.

Six months after it started selling doughnuts at 160 McDonald’s restaurants in Kentucky, Krispy Kreme said the test is proving to be valuable. But it needs more production capacity.

Early reports suggest the burger chain’s test of the sale of the doughnuts has been going well. But Krispy Kreme doesn’t have the capacity to serve the entire brand.

The fast-food burger chain will sell doughnuts at 160 restaurants in Louisville and Lexington and surrounding areas starting March 21. They will also be available through all channels.

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