Krispy Kreme expands to 4 more countries, names first McDonald’s to get its doughnuts

Krispy Kreme is opening locations in four more countries after selling its ownership stake in Insomnia Cookies for $172 million to focus on its core business, according to a document filed Thursday with the SEC.

The Charlotte-based company is opening in Morocco, Spain, Brazil and Germany, and on Thursday it named Chicago as the first city where it will roll out its doughnuts nationwide at McDonald’s restaurants.

The sale of Insomnia Cookies in July and expansion to new markets will allow Krispy Kreme to focus on its core strategy — doughnuts, CEO Josh Charlesworth said in the filing.

Krispy Kreme declined to share how many jobs the new international locations would create or how much it spent on opening them.

The SEC filing showed that Krispy Kreme spent $572,000 on new market expansions in the second quarter, including Brazil and Spain. That figure does not include costs associated with Germany or Morocco, but it does include expenses related to Insomnia Cookies expansions.

International expansions for Krispy Kreme

The inaugural Krispy Kreme location in Morocco is set to open Friday in Rabat. The decision to enter Morocco is part of a plan to expand throughout the Middle East and North African region, Chief Development Officer Raphael Duvivier said Monday in a news release.

Krispy Kreme’s expansions into Spain and Germany come after a “successful entry into France,” Duvivier said in an early-August press release. Krispy Kreme opened in France in December 2023.

Spain and Germany’s locations will open in 2025. Krispy Kreme’s Spain locations will be in and around Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia and Málaga. The first location in Germany will be in Berlin, and Krispy Kreme has plans to expand more in Germany.

Brazil will sell Krispy Kreme doughnuts in AmPm convenience stores and several storefront locations. The company expects to begin selling donuts in Brazil between the end of the year and early 2025.

Partnering with McDonald’s

Approximately 5,000 McDonald’s locations will carry Krispy Kreme doughnuts by the end of 2025, the company’s second-quarter presentation showed. Nationwide McDonald’s availability is expected by the end of 2026.

The decision to start selling in McDonald’s comes after a successful test period at 160 McDonald’s locations in Kentucky.

Krispy Kreme will deliver fresh doughnuts to participating McDonald’s locations every day. McDonald’s will carry original glazed, chocolate iced with sprinkles and chocolate iced cream filled doughnuts.

Customers will be able to purchase doughnuts from McDonald’s in boxes of six or individually while supplies last.