Krispy Kreme isn’t ending its partnership with McDonald’s, but it is “reassessing” it.
The beloved doughnut company revealed in a May 8 quarterly earnings report that it would be pausing a “phased market rollout” of Krispy Kreme doughnuts to McDonald’s restaurants across the country. The announcement comes after the company said its net revenue declined $59.4 million (20.1%), primarily due to a $64.3 million reduction associated with the sale of a majority stake in Insomnia Cookies.
Krispy Kreme doughnuts have been available for purchase at over 2,400 McDonald’s restaurants, namely in Indiana and Kentucky, as of March 30, 2025. Nationwide availability at participating McDonald’s locations was previously forecast for the end of 2026.
“The company is reassessing the deployment schedule together with McDonald’s while it works to achieve a profitable business model for all parties and does not expect to launch in any additional restaurants in the second quarter of 2025,” Krispy Kreme said in a news release.
Krispy Kreme says it “continues to believe in the long-term opportunity of profitable growth through the U.S. nationwide expansion including McDonald’s.”
Here’s what we know.
Krispy Kreme, McDonald’s announced partnership in March
The idea behind Krispy Kreme’s partnership with McDonald’s was to make their doughnuts more accessible. Customers who didn’t or couldn’t go to Krispy Kreme could get a doughnut, or six, at McDonald’s.
If everything goes as planned, three of Krispy Kreme’s most popular doughnuts will be delivered fresh to McDonald’s restaurants every day, and they will be available individually or in boxes of six, starting at breakfast and lasting throughout the day.
The available flavors include the Original Glazed Doughnut, the Chocolate Iced with Sprinkles Doughnut and the Chocolate Iced Kreme Filled Doughnut.
“Partnering with McDonald’s on a national scale will provide our fans and doughnut lovers unprecedented daily access to fresh doughnuts and the joy that is Krispy Kreme,” Josh Charlesworth, President and CEO of Krispy Kreme, said in a March 2024 news release.
The decision to offer select Krispy Kreme products at McDonald’s restaurants nationwide followed a “successful test” at 160 McDonald’s restaurants in Lexington and Louisville, where “consumer excitement and demand exceeded expectations.”
Those pilot restaurants continued (and will continue) to serve Krispy Kreme doughnuts up until the nationwide rollout was paused. A list of participating McDonald’s locations that serve Krispy Kreme doughnuts can be found here.
Contributing: Gabe Hauari, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Krispy Kreme ‘reassessing’ doughnut partnership with McDonald’s
