McDonald’s customers hoping to grab a Krispy Kreme donut with their morning coffee won’t have that option much longer. The fast-food giant announced Tuesday that it will stop selling Krispy Kreme donuts at its locations effective July 2.
In a press release, Alyssa Buetikofer, McDonald’s USA’s Chief Marketing and Customer Experience Officer, acknowledged the success of the collaboration while noting its limitations.
“We were excited and pleased to partner with Krispy Kreme. 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.”
The partnership between the two companies began in October 2022, when McDonald’s started selling Krispy Kreme donuts at nine locations in the Louisville, Kentucky area as part of a limited test run.
In February of the following year, McDonald’s announced it would expand the program to 160 locations across Kentucky.
In March 2024, McDonald’s announced plans to expand the partnership nationwide by the end of 2026. On the day of the announcement, Krispy Kreme shares surged 39%, marking one of the strongest single-day performances in the company’s history.
At the time, McDonald’s saw the addition of Krispy Kreme as a way to strengthen its breakfast sales and bakery lineup, aligning with the company’s broader push into coffee through its new beverage-focused spinoff brand, CosMc’s.
Ultimately, after reaching 2,400 of McDonald’s approximately 13,500 U.S. locations, the two companies have decided to end the partnership.
Krispy Kreme CEO Josh Charlesworth cited economic challenges as a factor in the decision to end the collaboration. “Ultimately, efforts to bring our costs in line with unit demand were unsuccessful, making the partnership unsustainable for us,” said Charlesworth.
It’s been a challenging year for Krispy Kreme in the market. Shares have fallen nearly 73% in 2025, and the company reported a loss of approximately $33 million in the first quarter. By contrast, McDonald’s stock is down only about 0.13% for the year.
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