You Want a Doughnut With That?

Well, this is exciting for fans of fat, salt, and sugar: McDonald's, that longtime burger purveyor and expander of America's waistline, is teaming with fellow expansion artist Krispy Kreme to offer doughnuts in all of its US restaurants by the end of 2026. As CNBC reports, the deal is a pretty sweet one for Krispy Kreme, which will see its distribution locations skyrocket: It currently sells to 6,800 off-site locations, and Mickey Dee's will add another 13,500 to the mix, with plans for another 900 by 2027.

Investors approved, with Krispy Kreme stock jumping by 24% on Tuesday after the announcement—good news for a chain whose stock had sagged by about 20% over the last year as diet drugs such as Ozempic made their way into the marketplace. McDonald's stock was slightly down.

The news just gets better for Krispy Kreme, which can crank out a lot of the extra doughnuts with existing infrastructure, though it will have to add as the rollout goes on. The two chains have been flirting since 2022, when McDonald's began a pilot program selling doughnuts in nine stores, which quickly expanded to 160 restaurants in Kentucky. CNN notes that McDonald's will carry three flavors of Krispy Kreme—original glazed, chocolate iced with sprinkles, and chocolate iced "kreme" filled—and they'll be available for purchase all day. (More Krispy Kreme stories.)