McDonald's Will Soon Offer Krispy Kreme Doughnuts in Restaurants Nationwide Breakfast at the fast-food giant is getting much sweeter.
By Emily Rella
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Breakfast at McDonald's is about to get a whole lot sweeter.
On Monday, the fast food chain announced that it would be partnering with Krispy Kreme, making three types of Krispy Kreme doughnuts available at certain McDonald's locations later this year and nationwide by the end of 2026.
Customers will be able to indulge in the famed original glazed flavor, chocolate iced with sprinkles, and cream-filled flavors when the doughnuts officially roll out.
Related: McDonald's CEO Says That 'Affordability' Is on the Way as Company Struggles Through Sales Slump
"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," said Krispy Kreme President and CEO Josh Charlesworth in a company release. "The partnership accelerates the development of our existing Delivered Fresh Daily channel, creating operating leverage through distribution density and production utilization."
The partnership was originally tested in roughly 160 restaurants in the Lexington and Louisville Kentucky areas in the pilot run. Charlesworth said that demand for the donuts during this period "exceeded" expectations from both McDonald's and Krispy Kreme.
Customers will be able to buy one singular doughnut or a pack of six after they are "delivered fresh" to McDonald's restaurants in the morning. The sweet circles will be able to be purchased throughout the day until they are sold out.
Krispy Kreme will also be giving away one free original glazed doughnut to guests who visit their local Krispy Kreme shop today (March 26) between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. local time.
The partnership comes during a pivotal time for McDonald's, which saw weakened business in Q4 of 2023, with U.S. sales rising 4.3% quarterly as compared to a 4.4% estimated increase.
Related: Krispy Kreme Deal with McDonalds Could Be a Gamechanger
"I think what you're going to see as you head into 2024 is probably more attention to what I would describe as affordability," said McDonald's CEO Chris Kempczinski during a Q4 2023 earnings call.
McDonald's was up just over 1.7% annually as of Tuesday afternoon, while Krispy Kreme skyrocketed over 28% in just a 24-hour period following the announcement of the partnership.
