With how well-known and loved the North Carolina-born donut chain Krispy Kreme is, it doesn’t have many locations in the Midwest and precisely zero locations in Minnesota as well as both North and South Dakota. In fact, the closest location for years now has been Ankeny, Iowa—a nearly four-hour drive from Columbia Heights.
Previous attempts to open more Krispy Kreme locations throughout Minnesota include back in 2002, when locations opened in Maple Grove and other surrounding Twin Cities suburbs. Just like their donuts, Minnesotans were glazed and hyped before they even opened, making over $480,000 in sales in just the first week. But after the excitement died down, not many people frequented these establishments, especially with Dunkin (formerly Dunkin’ Donuts, which touted more variety at a cheaper price plus an increasingly popular coffee menu) expanding.
Unlike Dunkin, though, Krispy Kreme is one of the few donut places that frequently make their food fresh. Even so, donuts have a short shelf life, and with the dying hype, it wound up costing the chain more money having to throw away stale donuts that didn’t sell. Krispy Kreme had tried selling their donuts to other stores, including gas stations and grocers, and still operates under this Delivered Fresh Daily program that has been successful in other states. Unfortunately, this wasn’t enough to keep them afloat in Minnesota. Eventually, in 2008, the franchise stores in the Land of 10,000 Lakes had to close, alongside other stores across the country, because their sales had started to dwindle drastically. After this closing, for almost 20 years now, there hasn’t been a Krispy Kreme in Minnesota.
In early 2024, Krispy Kreme and McDonald’s announced a partnership now expected for a nationwide rollout in late 2026 that will feature the chain’s donuts on the fast-food staple’s iconic breakfast menu. This partnership has the opportunity to be a great help for Krispy Kreme, as it will make their return to Minnesota much smoother and to the public.
Or, perhaps, it will simply make the prospect of venturing to a Krispy Kreme standalone location less enticing. In fact, independent bakeries like Sarah Jane’s in Northeast Minneapolis and boutique donut shops like Cardigan in Minneapolis’s City Center may prove to continue to be more appealing to Saturday morning sweet tooths.
“I just want them to bring back Heights Bakery,” Zoe Zuehike (12) said, referring to the beloved Columbia Heights location that closed down this summer with several final days that featured hours-long lines spilling out into their strip mall parking lot on Central Avenue.
The partnership utilized a few small donut factories to make the donuts that would be sold at stores like McDonald’s. Krispy Kreme called this method the Delivered Fresh Daily expansion, and with their partnership with McDonald’s, it seems to be working very well. Sales soared after three years of losses, gaining an income of 37.6 million in their third quarter of the year.
What once was a CVS location in Fridley, construction of the new location is reportedly finished, and it is set to open later in October. Foodies speculate that the building was chosen to be a hub for Krispy Kreme’s Delivered Daily Fresh expansion, making it easier to ship out donuts to other stores with whom they had partnered.
“I hope they find success and last a long time. The location seems to be a good spot right off of 694 and close to the 94 intersection,” Columbia Heights High School Global Foods teacher Mrs. Trzaskowski said.
The roadside advertising and donut lovers’ preparation for their return is looking much better and perhaps more long-lasting than the attempt in the 2000s, especially when Krispy Kreme recently decided that they would continue to allow college campus reseller Jayson Gonzalez to continue selling their donuts in Minnesota. After all, a little goodwill goes a long way when it comes to cultivating a loyal customer base.
