McDonald’s is partnering with Krispy Kreme to sell doughnuts nationwide, reported Fox Business. The QSR will begin offering three Krispy Kreme doughnut flavors—the original glazed, chocolate iced with sprinkles, and chocolate iced "kreme" filled—by the end of 2026.
The doughnuts will be delivered to McDonald’s daily, available individually or in boxes of six, and sold from breakfast until supplies last. A phased rollout will begin later this year.
“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. “The partnership accelerates the development of our existing Delivered Fresh Daily channel, creating operating leverage through distribution density and production utilization.”
The companies tested the concept at 160 McDonald’s restaurants in Kentucky in February 2023. Through the partnership, Charlesworth said that the company has learned that fast-food consumers behave similarly to the consumers at Krispy Kreme’s own retail locations. “We’ve seen that both the loose doughnuts and the pre-packed doughnuts are well received,” Charlesworth told analysts during a call in October.
“Since the launch of breakfast nearly 50 years ago, we’ve continued to offer new menu items, flavors, and experiences that have made McDonald’s an irreplaceable part of fans’ morning routines,” Tariq Hassan, McDonald’s USA’s chief marketing and customer experience officer said in a press release. “This partnership is an exciting next step in that journey and a chance to unlock new business opportunities in the breakfast category and throughout the day.”
McDonald’s has found other ways to stay competitive recently, with the launch of its small-format, beverage-led concept called CosMc’s and changes to its signature burgers including a new special sauce and a brioche bun.
Meanwhile, Wendy’s announced its own breakfast treat partnership with Cinnabon and began offering the Cinnabon Pull Apart menu item in February.