Krispy Kreme Pauses Donut Rollout At McDonald's – Here's What Went Wrong

Krispy Kreme Pauses Donut Rollout At McDonald's – Here's What Went Wrong

So yeah, if you was hoping to grab a Krispy Kreme donut with your McMuffin soon, you might be waiting longer than expected. That’s because Krispy Kreme just announced they are pausing their nationwide donut rollout with McDonald’s. The plan was big — donuts in every McDonald’s in the U.S. by 2026. But now, things ain’t looking too sweet.

What Was The Krispy Kreme and McDonald's Plan Anyway?

Back in 2022 or so, Krispy Kreme and McDonald's thought it'd be a good idea to partner up. They started off testing it out in like 160 McDonald’s in Kentucky. People seemed to love it at first. I mean, who wouldn’t wanna grab a hot donut with a cup of McCafe?

So then, in 2024, they made it official — Krispy Kreme donuts was gonna be in all McDonald’s restaurants across America by the end of 2026. It sounded like a win-win. McDonald’s gets more breakfast traffic, Krispy Kreme gets a ton more customers. What could go wrong?

Why It Ain't Working Out

Turns out, quite a few things. In May 2025, Krispy Kreme’s CEO Josh Charlesworth said that demand just wasn't what they expected. After the first few months, the hype wore off, and people stopped buying them as much. That’s a big problem when your whole plan is to make donuts available everywhere.

“We saw strong interest at the beginning, but then demand slowed down. We need to take a pause and re-think,” Charlesworth said.

That ain’t all. There was problems with the deliveries too. Making sure fresh donuts show up at thousands of McDonald’s every single day is, well, kinda a nightmare. Krispy Kreme runs on a “hub and spoke” delivery system, where big kitchens make donuts and send them out. Scaling that for McDonald’s was harder than expected.

Money Trouble Hitting Hard

The donut drama comes as Krispy Kreme is dealing with some serious financial struggles. In the first quarter of 2025, they lost $33.3 million, which is a lot more than the $8.5 million they lost this time last year. Revenue also took a hit, dropping 15% to $375.2 million, which didn’t impress investors one bit.

And yeah, the company had to pull their financial forecast for the year and even paused their dividend. Translation: they tryna save cash and pay off debt, which ain’t a good sign.

Investors didn’t like the news. The stock dropped over 20% in one day, adding to the 60+% slump the stock already seen this year.

McDonald’s Ain’t Doing So Hot Either

It’s not just a Krispy Kreme problem. McDonald's itself is dealing with declining sales in the U.S., mostly cause people are spending less thanks to high inflation. They saw a 3.6% drop in same-store sales, which is their worst quarter since COVID times.

Other fast-food giants like Domino’s, Starbucks, and Chipotle are also reporting weaker numbers. Basically, folks are tightening their wallets — and a $2.99 donut might not be the must-have treat it used to be.

So What Now? Is the Donut Deal Dead?

Nope, not yet. The partnership ain’t over, it’s just on hold. Krispy Kreme says they gonna pause the rollout for now, but donuts will still be sold at the McDonald’s locations that already got them — mostly in Kentucky, Indiana, and surrounding areas.

There just won’t be any new stores added in the second quarter of 2025. The company says they’ll take this time to “rethink the strategy” and “work on making operations simpler.”

“We’re not giving up. We just wanna make sure we do it right,” said Charlesworth.

Can This Partnership Still Work?

Some folks think there’s still hope. The idea of pairing two major brands like Krispy Kreme and McDonald’s makes a lot of sense on paper. But you gotta make sure it works in real life too — and that’s where things got messy.

One big issue? Not everybody goes to McDonald’s looking for a donut. And even if they do, the options was kinda limited. Most stores only had 3 kinds of donuts: Original Glazed, Chocolate Iced with Sprinkles, and Raspberry-Filled. Not exactly a full menu.

If they wanna get people excited again, they might need to offer more flavors, do seasonal specials, and bundle donuts with coffee or meals. Basically, give people a reason to buy one — not just hope they notice a box sitting near the register.

Also, better in-app promos, rewards points, and digital-only deals could help push donut sales.

Why Fast Food Partnerships Can Fail

The pause in Krispy Kreme's McDonald's expansion shows how fast food partnerships — even between huge brands — ain’t always a slam dunk. These days, more fast-food companies are teaming up to bring in new customers. You got Taco Bell testing out new items with Beyond Meat, Burger King dropping celeb meals, and more.

But if the logistics are off, or if people don’t bite, even the best ideas can flop.

This situation is a reminder that scaling too fast without testing can backfire. Krispy Kreme might’ve been better off expanding slower, testing more cities, and working out delivery before committing to thousands of new locations.

FAQs – Krispy Kreme and McDonald’s Donut News

Q: Are Krispy Kreme donuts still at McDonald’s?

A: Yes, but only in the places that already had them. No new locations are adding them right now.

Q: Why did Krispy Kreme stop the rollout?

A: Demand dropped and delivering fresh donuts daily was harder than they thought.

Q: Is the partnership over?

A: Nope. They just paused things for now. They might keep expanding later if they fix the issues.

Q: What donuts were being sold?

A: Just three — Original Glazed, Chocolate Iced with Sprinkles, and Raspberry-Filled.

Q: Can I still get Krispy Kreme at my local McDonald's?

A: Only if your local spot already had them. Otherwise, you might be outta luck for now.

Q: Is Krispy Kreme going out of business?

A: Nah, but they’re def struggling right now. They’re trying to save money and get back on track.

Q: Will they try again in the future?

A: Probably. The CEO says they still believe in the idea, they just need to do it smarter next time.

Conclusion: This Ain’t the End... Probably

So yeah, the donut dream at McDonald's is on hold — but not gone forever. It’s a bummer for folks who was excited to see Krispy Kreme at every drive-thru, but maybe it’s for the best. Rushing into a nationwide rollout without everything figured out? That’s a recipe for a sugar crash.

Krispy Kreme says they’re gonna figure things out, simplify operations, and make a comeback. Will they? Time’ll tell. But for now, donut fans will have to hit up regular Krispy Kreme shops or the limited McDonald's locations that still got 'em.