In a surprising move, Krispy Kreme and McDonald’s are ending their donut deal nationwide by July 2, 2025. This decision marks the end of a highly publicized partnership between two major food giants. Let’s explore what went wrong and what it means for donut fans and fast food customers across the U.S.
In 2022, McDonald’s tested Krispy Kreme donuts in select U.S. restaurants, starting in Kentucky. The pilot received a warm response. That led to a bigger plan to roll out the famous glazed donuts across 14,000 locations nationwide by the end of 2026.
However, this rollout is now being cut short. The final day of Krispy Kreme donut availability at McDonald’s will be July 2, 2025.
The reason behind this decision? Profitability. Krispy Kreme cited operational challenges and unsustainable costs. While customer interest was initially strong, the demand didn’t match the cost of daily delivery and distribution.
CEO Josh Charlesworth explained that their hub-and-spoke delivery model, which requires fresh donut deliveries each day, couldn’t scale cost-effectively to thousands of McDonald’s locations.
McDonald’s also confirmed that while the donut quality met their standards, the business model wasn’t delivering the profits both companies expected.
With Krispy Kreme donuts leaving the McDonald’s menu, the fast food chain plans to shift focus back to its own breakfast staples. These include items like the Egg McMuffin, hotcakes, and McGriddles.
McDonald’s CMO Alyssa Buetikofer noted that their commitment remains strong toward value-driven, fast breakfast menus and that external collaborations need to be both innovative and profitable.
Before the deal officially ends, Krispy Kreme will offer one free Original Glazed donut to customers as a farewell treat. The offer is expected to roll out next week in select areas.
Customers can check Krispy Kreme’s official website and social media for the full details and availability.
The problem came down to logistics and unit sales. While some McDonald's locations sold donuts quickly, others did not see the same level of demand. That made average sales too low to balance out the higher delivery and staffing costs.
Krispy Kreme had hoped McDonald’s could help expand its reach, but the national scale proved to be more expensive than expected.
With the McDonald's partnership ending, Krispy Kreme plans to shift its U.S. strategy. The company will now focus more on:
High-volume grocery chains
Convenience stores
International franchise growth
These outlets offer better margins and fewer logistical challenges than daily delivery to thousands of fast-food restaurants.
Krispy Kreme has also paused its dividend and withdrawn financial forecasts for 2025 as it reassesses growth.
For McDonald’s, the loss of Krispy Kreme is minor. Donuts were never a core part of its offering. The brand is now doubling down on fast and affordable breakfast items, likely innovating internally or through different types of partnerships.
The company still sees breakfast as a major sales driver, and it plans to focus on speed, price, and consistency for its morning menu.
Many customers took to social media to express disappointment. Some said their local McDonald’s never even stocked the donuts consistently. Others shared that their locations always sold out before lunch.
One user posted, “The donuts were gone by 11 a.m. in my area. I guess it didn’t work everywhere.”
Another commented, “This was the only way I got Krispy Kreme without driving across town. Now I’m stuck.”
If you’re a fan of grabbing donuts with your coffee or breakfast combo, you’ve got until July 2, 2025, to enjoy them at McDonald’s. After that, you’ll need to visit a Krispy Kreme store or find them in retail chains like Walmart, Target, or gas stations.
The short-lived McDonald’s-Krispy Kreme partnership may not have worked out, but it still showed that customer demand exists—just not at any cost.
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