Yahoo Finance Krispy Kreme CEO on McDonald's test: 'It's really early days'
McDonalds' customers may be able to order a Big Mac with a side of large fries, and one original glazed Krispy Kreme doughnut in the future.
In late October, the two consumer giants kicked off the "unique" partnership. Both McDonald's and Krispy Kreme are currently conducting a small operations test at nine McDonald's restaurants in Louisville, KY, and surrounding areas.
Krispy Kreme CEO Mike Tattersfield told Yahoo Finance the collaboration is only in its early stages.
"It's really early days, but what we're really focusing on is doing the deliver fresh daily (DFD). Can we deliver the doughnuts freshly, just as we do to McDonald's, as we do to our other customers? And then take it from there. We'll update as time goes on," Tattersfield emphasized.
The test offerings include a single pack of the brand's original glazed doughnut, a chocolate iced doughnut with sprinkles, or a raspberry-filled doughnut, in addition to a six-pack of original glazed doughnuts.
It's all part of Krispy Kreme's larger ambitions to boost its deliver fresh daily (DFD) business model and increase ways customers can access the brand. This collaboration, while only limited to McDonald's right now, is in addition to the rollout of DFD to convenience and grocery stores with an ultimate goal to tap into the "50,000 points of access opportunity" through similar channels.
In Krispy Kreme's third-quarter results, the company added 294 points of access and 1,276 year-to-date, surpassing its full-year target, with a total of more than 11,700 locations globally.
To make certain customers are aware this is a very preliminary test, McDonald's noted in the release that the fast food giant is "always looking for ways to give our fans more of what they crave, and we often conduct tests to inform future menu decisions."
In addition, McDonald's noted the small-scale test "will help us understand how offering new bakery items like Krispy Kreme could impact operations in our restaurants."
Some factors Krispy Kreme is looking to deliver in a bid to win over the fast food include the following:
"Are we getting there on time? Are we able to get the right assortment that they're looking for?...then how are we delivering freshness and quality?...we do that with all of our customers," reiterating the stage of the test, "that's what we're measuring. This is an ops test today, so we're going to continue to hone in on that," Tattersfield noted.
If it works, Krispy Kreme may have struck a golden opportunity. As per McDonald's third-quarter earnings results, there are currently 40,000 locations in over 100 countries.
Brooke DiPalma is a reporter for Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Twitter at @BrookeDiPalma or email her at bdipalma@yahoofinance.com.
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