When McDonald’s and Krispy Kreme announced a national partnership in March 2024, it seemed like a food trend dream come true: two of America’s most iconic brands teaming up to bring daily fresh donuts to the McDonald’s breakfast menu. The rollout, which began with 160 test locations in Kentucky, was supposed to reach most of McDonald’s 13,600 U.S. restaurants by the end of 2026. Consumers were promised hot Krispy Kreme classics—like the Original Glazed® and Chocolate Iced with Sprinkles—at the convenience of a drive-thru.
The collaboration lit up headlines, TikTok, and industry conversations. It tapped into breakfast expansion, premium snacking, and brand synergy, offering fast-food fans the promise of freshly baked indulgence without the need for a detour. But in June 2025, the magic fizzled out. The companies jointly announced the termination of the partnership, citing underwhelming demand and scalability issues. What began as a high-profile fusion of brand equity turned out to be a short-lived experiment in co-branding.
The end of the McDonald’s × Krispy Kreme collaboration may not mark the demise of food brand partnerships, but it raises important questions about consumer attention spans, operational complexity, and what it takes to sustain a restaurant trend in today’s volatile market.
Trend Snapshot / Factbox
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Trend name and brief definition | McDonald’s × Krispy Kreme partnership offering fresh Krispy Kreme donuts at McDonald’s breakfast |
| Main ingredients or key components | Original Glazed®, Chocolate Iced w/ Sprinkles, Chocolate Iced Kreme-Filled |
| Current distribution | Peaked at ~2,400 McDonald’s locations across the U.S. |
| Well-known restaurants or products currently embodying this trend | McCafé donut offering in test regions |
| Relevant hashtags and social media presence | #MCDoughnuts, #KrispyKremeMcDonalds, trending early 2024 |
| Target demographics | Fast-food consumers, Gen Z, morning commuters, donut lovers |
| “Wow factor” or special feature of the trend | Premium bakery product at quick-serve drive-thru scale |
| Trend phase | Peaked in early 2024, ended June 2025 (TrendScore: 28) |
A Sweet Idea: Why This Collab Made Sense
The logic behind the partnership was strong. Krispy Kreme was seeking high-volume, stable outlets for daily distribution, while McDonald’s aimed to invigorate its breakfast menu. At a time when consumer demand for premium fast-food experiences continues to rise, the idea of fresh Krispy Kreme donuts available with a McCafé coffee sounded like a perfect match.
This wasn’t the first time McDonald’s experimented with partner crossovers—but it was one of the few to involve a baked product with an independent supply chain. For Krispy Kreme, the McDonald’s network offered reach. For McDonald’s, the donuts promised a product with cult-like loyalty and high perceived value.
The pilot began with enthusiasm in Kentucky. Consumer responses were positive, and media coverage leaned optimistic. Early rollout data reportedly exceeded expectations, leading to the national expansion announcement in March 2024, covered enthusiastically on the McDonald’s official news site.
From Hype to Hiccup: Where the Momentum Slipped
Despite early excitement, by mid-2025 the partnership quietly unraveled. In a joint release, both companies confirmed the collaboration would end by July 2025. Krispy Kreme stated its intention to focus on more scalable, high-volume retail channels and international franchise expansion. McDonald’s downplayed the breakup, noting that donuts had been “a small, non-material part” of their breakfast strategy.
Behind this polite press language were more complex dynamics. Logistical strain was significant. Krispy Kreme operates on a fresh-delivery model—its donuts are often made in centralized hubs and shipped daily. Aligning that with McDonald’s store hours, demand variability, and cold-chain logistics proved challenging.
More critically, buzz faded. After the initial media spike, the donuts were often overlooked on menu boards, buried among more prominent McMuffins and coffee deals. Without collectible packaging, limited-time urgency, or celebrity endorsements, the collaboration lacked the cultural hooks to stay viral.
Donut Drama: Fans React to the End
What made the collaboration’s demise especially notable was the sudden surge in consumer reaction—once the news broke that it was over. Social media lit up with confused and disappointed posts.
Many users on X (formerly Twitter) expressed frustration that they hadn’t even known about the offering. Others lamented its disappearance, with comments like “No Krispy Kreme stores around here, this was the only place I could get one.” On TikTok, creators joked that “the best part of McDonald’s breakfast just ghosted us.”
This disconnect—between potential and awareness—became one of the key takeaways. A strong product can’t thrive without sustained consumer engagement. And as many fast-food brands now know, social media sentiment can make or break a trend.
The BTS Meal vs. Donuts: What Stuck, What Didn’t
To understand why this collab failed to scale, it helps to compare it to a wildly successful McDonald’s partnership: the BTS Meal. Launched in 2021, the BTS Meal included sauces inspired by the Korean pop band’s preferences and came with global marketing, exclusive packaging, and coordinated content drops.
The meal sparked over 11 million social media mentions, largely because it appealed to a specific fanbase and delivered a sense of moment. It was limited, branded, and shareable. In contrast, the Krispy Kreme donuts were positioned as a convenience—good value, but without a story.
The difference is clear: trend collaborations thrive not just on product quality, but on identity, narrative, and emotional engagement.
Lessons for Future Collabs in Fast Food
The McDonald’s × Krispy Kreme partnership may be over, but the experiment offers valuable insights for food professionals:
- Cross-branding must go beyond convenience. Emotional and cultural resonance is key.
- Operational feasibility is everything. A great idea means little if the backend can’t scale efficiently.
- Sustained visibility matters. Without regular promotions or updates, even beloved brands can fade.
- Limited-time engagement often outperforms evergreen integration. Consumers crave novelty, not just familiarity.
As Krispy Kreme pivots to grocery and retail partnerships, and McDonald’s continues its search for breakfast innovation, this case becomes a cautionary tale for brands seeking to ride the co-branding wave without fully calibrating execution.
Final Bites: What Comes Next?
In the aftermath, both brands seem unshaken. Krispy Kreme has refocused its growth strategy on high-volume retail partners and international markets, according to its official investor update. McDonald’s remains on the lookout for fresh breakfast ideas, continuing to test regional LTOs and seasonal menu spins.
The real winner here may be the wider food industry, which now has a new case study in how trend hype, supply chain realities, and brand loyalty intersect.
If you’re curious about how this trend scored and why it still matters despite its short run, check out our story on McDonald’s x Krispy Kreme.