The partnership between Krispy Kreme and McDonald’s is expanding to a third market en route to a nationwide rollout by the end of 2026. Starting Nov. 12, Krispy Kreme doughnuts will be available at select McDonald’s locations in Northeast Ohio, which includes the Cleveland, Akron, and Canton markets.
As part of the collaboration, Krispy Kreme’s doughnuts will be delivered fresh daily and are available in half-dozen or dozen orders from breakfast and throughout the day while supplies last. Options include the Original Glazed Doughnut, Chocolate Iced with Sprinkles Doughnut, and Chocolate Iced Kreme Filled Doughnut.
The arrival of Krispy Kreme doughnuts at Northeast Ohio McDonald’s restaurants is part of a phased market rollout across the country and comes on the heels of the partnership’s expansion to the Chicago area last month. The nationwide plan was announced in late March after about a year-and-a-half-long test in select Kentucky McDonald’s locations that exceeded expectations at both companies, according to Krispy Kreme president and chief executive officer Josh Charlesworth. The test expanded to 160 locations in February 2023.
Krispy Kreme expects a presence in nearly 2,000 McDonald’s restaurants by the end of this year and a total of 12,000 by the end of 2026.
“We are very pleased with our partnership with McDonald’s. We expect to serve fresh doughnuts in nearly 2,000 McDonald’s restaurants by the end of the year, add 5,000 in 2025, and 6,000 in 2026, bringing us to more than 85% of the U.S. footprint,” Charlesworth said during the company’s second-quarter earnings call in August.
Krispy Kreme has a team working with the quick-service giant to ensure a seamless rollout and is hiring and training employees in manufacturing operations, upgrading its production lines, and optimizing its delivery logistics network with “improved routing” and fleet upgrades to make the McDonald’s rollout happen.
“We have a dedicated cross-functional team to make sure the facilities and our people are ready,” Charlesworth said. “We’re very focused on delivering a really high-quality service to the McDonald’s restaurants so that people get fresh doughnuts every day at the same quality level they expect in Krispy Kreme and other channels.”
Contact Alicia Kelso at [email protected]
