McDonald’s will begin offering Krispy Kreme doughnuts in Chicagoland on Tuesday, which is the beginning of a phased national rollout that will see doughnuts sold across 1,000 McDonald’s restaurants by the end of this year and 12,000 by the end of 2026.
But beyond Chicago, the two companies want to give doughnut lovers a taste of what’s to come as Krispy Kreme’s treats find a new home under the Golden Arches.
To mark the expansion, Krispy Kreme is offering a free Original Glazed doughnut from October 10 to October 14 to anyone who presents a McDonald’s paper or digital receipt dated between those days at any participating Krispy Kreme shop across the country.
“The top request we receive from consumers is for more access to our delicious, fresh doughnuts. Having Krispy Kreme doughnuts under the Golden Arches is golden for our fans and we’re excited to celebrate by giving our guests who also visit a McDonald’s a free Original Glazed doughnut,” Krispy Kreme CEO Josh Charlesworth said in a statement.
As part of the Chicago launch, three Krispy Kreme doughnuts will be available at participating McDonald’s locations: the Original Glazed, the Chocolate Iced with Sprinkles, and the Chocolate Iced Kreme Filled. These doughnuts will be delivered fresh daily.
Not only is McDonald’s headquartered in Chicago, but Krispy Kreme also has three production hubs in the area that already have the infrastructure needed to support expansion. One of these hubs even has multiple production lines, making it an ideal starting point.
The U.S. launch follows a successful pilot at 160 McDonald’s locations in the Louisville and Lexington, Kentucky markets. The collaboration is beneficial for both sides. It adds a new dimension to McDonald’s menu and enables Krispy Kreme to reach a wider audience.
The venture is part of Krispy Kreme’s changed business model that moves away from retail shop expansion and focuses on using production hubs to send fresh doughnuts every day to thousands of locations across the country, whether that’s restaurants, grocery stores, convenience stores, gas stations, pharmacies, or other retail shops. Krispy Kreme has major deals with Walmart, Kroger, and Target as well.
Krispy Kreme plans to increase efficiency as it ramps up where it sells doughnuts. As of August, 151 U.S. hubs sent doughnuts to 50 different venues on average. Krispy Kreme expects this to increase to over 100 locations per hub by 2026.