McDonald's and Krispy Kreme

[ClownLoach]

McDonald's will sell Krispy Kreme doughnuts in every US restaurant, rolling out through 2026. Massive win here for Krispy Kreme as they make more than they can sell, but have the classic manufacturing dilemma of the more they make the less each unit costs. McDonald's could potentially take lots of doughnuts from each location and run down the cost. Meanwhile the regular Krispy Kreme location still has an edge because of hot fresh doughnuts and special flavors.

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/03/26/mcdonal ... -2026.html

[storewanderer]

This test was in locations:
https://www.mcdonalds.com/us/en-us/prod ... tions.html

They are selling only 3 flavors, Original Glazed, Chocolate Kreme, and Chocolate Sprinkle.


I pulled up multiple for ordering these, and multiple only had some products available not all products. I wonder how they receive these products.

Probably need to figure out a way for McDonalds to offer the donuts hot. That would be a huge win. These stale days old donuts, not so much.

[ClownLoach]

This test was in locations:
https://www.mcdonalds.com/us/en-us/prod ... tions.html

They are selling only 3 flavors, Original Glazed, Chocolate Kreme, and Chocolate Sprinkle.


I pulled up multiple for ordering these, and multiple only had some products available not all products. I wonder how they receive these products.

Probably need to figure out a way for McDonalds to offer the donuts hot. That would be a huge win. These stale days old donuts, not so much.

In the national rollout they could train McDonald's on using a microwave to warm the doughnut. They recommend 8 seconds on high power.

I was surprised that the new factory store in Temecula has a massive night delivery crew with multiple vans and trucks. The doughnuts being delivered to the grocery stores were prepared a few hours before and all are to be removed at the next daily delivery. I observed at both Ralphs and Stater Bros the Krispy Kreme employees tossing all the boxes on display into a cart and replacing all with fresh boxes from the rolling rack they brought in. The old doughnuts are bagged in huge clear trash bags and they are donated to food banks. In theory some of the flavor doughnuts at the actual shop may not be much fresher than these at the store. I prefer the hot off the line original glazed to any of their flavors however.

[BillyGr]

McDonald's will sell Krispy Kreme doughnuts in every US restaurant, rolling out through 2026.

Wonder how they will be able to do that, particularly in areas where there is no Krispy Kreme anywhere nearby (like here around Albany, NY - the nearest KK locations are CT or NJ, just over 100 miles away). There are an awful lot of McDonald's between here & where they are to supply them all and do so regularly.

[ClownLoach]

McDonald's will sell Krispy Kreme doughnuts in every US restaurant, rolling out through 2026.

Wonder how they will be able to do that, particularly in areas where there is no Krispy Kreme anywhere nearby (like here around Albany, NY - the nearest KK locations are CT or NJ, just over 100 miles away). There are an awful lot of McDonald's between here & where they are to supply them all and do so regularly.

Licensing to ghost kitchens and commercial bakeries I suspect. They say they're expanding their network and that is the only logical translation.

[Alpha8472]

I have tried the Krispy Kreme donuts at Walmart that are supposedly delivered every morning. They seem decently fresh. Maybe there would be a delivery truck driving to every McDonald's in the morning. I assume that McDonald's would heat up the donuts either like the chocolate chip cookies or the hotcakes.

[storewanderer]

We will see how this works.

I'll keep my thoughts to myself.

But I can definitely see how both parties see this as a positive.

Ultimately the customer will decide if this product is worth it.

[ClownLoach]

I have tried the Krispy Kreme donuts at Walmart that are supposedly delivered every morning. They seem decently fresh. Maybe there would be a delivery truck driving to every McDonald's in the morning. I assume that McDonald's would heat up the donuts either like the chocolate chip cookies or the hotcakes.

Krispy Kreme has never permitted anyone to heat or do anything to alter their product. Just from liability perspective alone having someone else touch it in a kitchen would be a nightmare to resolve if somehow food poisoning took place. Although I made the joke that KK recommends 8 seconds in the microwave they would never allow such a thing to happen. These doughnuts will be prepacked. The trays of open stock at Ralphs are actually Krispy Kreme trays and their delivery crew restocks the cases nightly exchanging the trays straight across so Ralphs personnel don't touch them.

[storewanderer]

I have tried the Krispy Kreme donuts at Walmart that are supposedly delivered every morning. They seem decently fresh. Maybe there would be a delivery truck driving to every McDonald's in the morning. I assume that McDonald's would heat up the donuts either like the chocolate chip cookies or the hotcakes.

Krispy Kreme has never permitted anyone to heat or do anything to alter their product. Just from liability perspective alone having someone else touch it in a kitchen would be a nightmare to resolve if somehow food poisoning took place. Although I made the joke that KK recommends 8 seconds in the microwave they would never allow such a thing to happen. These doughnuts will be prepacked. The trays of open stock at Ralphs are actually Krispy Kreme trays and their delivery crew restocks the cases nightly exchanging the trays straight across so Ralphs personnel don't touch them.

There are various instances where resellers do directly handle the KK product.

The casinos who sell them at snack bars put them onto their own tray.

Last week I saw the KK truck at Smiths and it was exchanging boxes (looked like they took out about as many as they brought in). There is a Jacksons nearby who has individual bulk KK so I thought maybe the truck was just there or about to be there so I went over to a nearby Jacksons after leaving Smiths. The KK truck was gone from Smiths by the time I got out. Went over to Jacksons thinking I could get a couple of fresh KK. Nope. Definitely no recent delivery there, a few trays with sad looking donuts in 3 flavors and the donuts were on the trays on top of waxed paper with the Jacksons logo on it so I guess they handle them there too.

The Terrible Herbst unit with KK the driver delivers them on KK trays but the Terrible Herbst employees do consolidate trays and front the donuts since the delivery is not daily. I'm not even sure it is every 3 days.