McDonald’s and Krispy Kreme Are Splitting Up
It’s okay. The decision was mutual.
bgwalker/Getty
McDonald’s and Krispy Kreme are breaking up.
The fast-food chains got together in October 2022, when McDonald’s began serving Krispy Kreme doughnuts at a handful of its Kentucky locations. It rolled out to 160 locations by February 2023.
After a year of this pilot program, McDonald’s and Krispy Kreme called the move “a successful test” and said “consumer excitement and demand exceeded expectations.” They announced plans to expand their partnership nationwide by the end of 2026.
Sadly, the relationship wasn’t meant to be. Though popular with customers, the model was ultimately unprofitable for Krispy Kreme. McDonald’s will stop selling the doughnuts on July 2.
“We had strong collaboration with Krispy Kreme and they delivered a great, high-quality product for us, and while the partnership met our expectations for McDonald’s and Owner/Operators, this needed to be a profitable business model for Krispy Kreme as well,” Alyssa Buetikofer, McDonald’s USA’s Chief Marketing and Customer Experience Officer, says in a press release.
According to Krispy Kreme CEO Josh Charlesworth, the feeling is mutual.
“Our two companies partnered very closely, each supporting execution, marketing, and training, delivering a great consumer experience in approximately 2,400 McDonald’s restaurants,” he says. “Ultimately, efforts to bring our costs in line with unit demand were unsuccessful, making the partnership unsustainable for us.”
This is the second failed McDonald’s experiment of late. Just last month, it pulled the plug on CosMc’s, the nostalgic spinoff chain it launched in 2023.
On the flip side, McDonald’s has had a few recent wins. It’s bringing back its beloved Snack Wrap this summer by popular demand. It also repeated its collaborative Squishmallows Happy Meal in May. Both announcements thrilled fans.
So, maybe it’s okay that Krispy Kreme and McDonald’s are going their separate ways. It was fun while it lasted, but this could be a sign for both brands to keep delivering the products customers already know and love.
Related Content:
