Krispy Kreme's fresh doughnuts are popular. Last year, the North Carolina-based company sold 1.63 billion doughnuts worldwide and earned $404.6 million.
In 2022, Krispy Kreme overtook Chick-fil-A as the most emotionally connected fast-food brand.
Despite this financial success and popular flavor, the doughnut giant's relatively young brand of grocery store snack aisle doughnuts has struggled.
Krispy Kreme introduced Doughnut Bites and Mini Crullers at Walmart nationwide in 2020. Krispy Kreme had to make packaged snack products to last on grocery store shelves, unlike its fresh doughnuts.
Krispy Kreme's portable, convenient snacks haven't been as successful as it hoped.
"Our fresh daily doughnut company is strong, profitable, and growing quickly. "We're investing and focused here," Krispy Kreme remarked.
Because of this, we decided to depart our underperforming, extended shelf-life snack aisle business and stop making these goods at our Concord, N.C., manufacturing site."
Food Dive reports that Krispy Kreme will close its factory in May, destroying 102 employees. Doughnut Bites and Tiny Crullers aficionados should stock up or devour them all before they're gone.
The chain's fresh doughnut delivery service is progressing. In 2022, McDonald's signed an exciting contract to offer its fresh doughnuts at nine Kentucky locations.
McDonald's said last month that the Krispy Kreme test would expand to 160 locations in Louisville, Lexington, and nearby areas in Kentucky.
Today, those shops are selling three Krispy Kreme fan favorites: the Original Glazed Doughnut, the Chocolate Iced with Sprinkles Doughnut, and the Chocolate Iced Kreme Filled Doughnut.