McDonald’s to Begin Selling Krispy Kreme Donuts at U.S. Locations

Declan Gallagher
·2 min read
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As it slowly rolls out the reintroduction of the breakfast bagel sandwich, McDonald’s has announced the addition of a brand new item to store menus across the country. The Golden Arches will begin selling Krispy Kreme donuts at all of its North American locations by the end of 2026, the chain announced on Tuesday (via The Washington Times).

As part of the deal, Krispy Kreme will deliver three flavors of fresh donuts to McDonald’s locations every day. Customers can choose from Krispy Kreme’s Original Glazed flavor, or its Chocolate Iced with Sprinkles and Chocolate Iced "Kreme" filled options. The donuts will be available á la carte or in boxes of six.

Similarly to the breakfast bagels, McDonald’s will begin a slow rollout of the Krispy Kreme donuts to its stores later this year. They’ll be available to purchase at all American McDonald’s locations by the end of 2026.

"Significantly, by making Kreme Krispy accessible to fans nationwide through this partnership, we expect to more than double our points of access by the end of 2026," Krispy Kreme CEO Josh Charlesworth said in a statement. "The partnership accelerates the development of our existing Delivered Fresh Daily channel, creating operating leverage through distribution density and production utilization."

In recent years, Krispy Kreme has positioned itself as a competitor to Dunkin. According to Krispy Kreme, it readjusted its supply chain, added technology, and created a special support team to assist in the McDonald’s expansion.

The partnership, finalized after a successful trial run in Indiana and Kentucky, represents a huge step forward for Krispy Kreme, who currently distribute donuts to 6,800 third-party retailers. The McDonald’s deal will add at least 13,500 restaurants to that list, with another 900 anticipated by the end of 2027.

After the announcement on Tuesday, Krispy Kreme’s stock jumped 20 percent in early trading, according to Wall Street Journal. Through Monday, shares had been down 21 percent from this time last year.

The last few months have seen a great deal of change for McDonald’s once-ironclad menu. In addition to announcing major changes to its signature Big Mac, the chain recently reintroduced the breakfast wrap and Spicy Chicken McNuggets, as well as the Strawberry & Créme Pie. Last month, McDonald’s launched an anime-inspired meal with a brand new Savory Chili WcDonald’s Sauce.

The chain also recently opened a much-hyped spin-off, CosMc’s, in Illinois. Earlier this week, McDonald’s cut the ribbon on a Texas location.