CHARLOTTE, N.C.—Krispy Kreme is partnering with Good Humor and Popsicle to transform iconic ice cream truck treats into doughnuts. Three new doughnut flavors will be available for a limited time at participating shops across the U.S.
The flavors include Popsicle Firecracker-Inspired Doughnut, Vanilla-King-Cone-Inspired Doughnut and Creamsicle-Inspired Doughnut.
Krispy Kreme is also releasing the Creamsicle-Inspired Chiller, which is a Creamsicle-inspired frozen beverage made with a creamy frappe base and orange flavoring.
“Should a doughnut really taste like a Creamsicle? Yes. Yes it should,” said Dave Skena, global chief brand officer for Krispy Kreme. “And we didn’t stop there as we doughnutized some of America’s favorite frozen treats this summer.”
Earlier this month, the company announced it was giving away 8,500 gift cards in what will amount to 8,500 years of doughnuts in celebration of 85 years in business. Krispy Kreme also is offering guests through Labor Day a free Original Glazed doughnut at all shops that have a Hot Light any time the Hot Light is on with no purchase necessary.
In addition, Krispy Kreme is continuing its Beat the Pump promotion as part of the Sweet New Deal, setting the price for a dozen Original Glazed doughnuts based on the national average price of a gallon of regular gasoline, each Wednesday through August 31. Guests can get up to two dozen Original Glazed doughnuts at participating shops, via drive-thru and for pick-up by ordering online and through the Krispy Kreme app.
The company plans to open dark shops for its doughnuts, accessible to e-commerce delivery drivers only. The dark shops were tested in the U.K. last year and were successful, with more than 50 delivery-only dark shops expanding consumer access to fresh donuts. Krispy Kreme plans on bringing the concept to the U.S. and Mexico markets in 2022, following customer feedback that freshness is a key factor in sweet treat purchasing decisions.
“Our dark shops will piggyback on existing spoke routes, which ensures a fresh donut distribution daily and opens up further access to more customers,” said Michael J. Tattersfield, president and chief executive officer of Krispy Kreme, on a fourth-quarter earnings call. “We believe these initiatives will generate double-digit organic revenue growth this year.”
Krispy Kreme purchased Insomnia Cookies in 2018, which is a late-night fresh cookie delivery business that operates out of retail storefronts, and Krispy Kreme has seen promising growth in the e-commerce sector since the acquisition. Revenue for Insomnia rose more than 30% overall and nearly 20% excluding new store revenue.
Tattersfield said that Krispy Kreme hopes to capitalize on the appeal of freshness and convenience delivered directly to customers within a 20-minute range of a dark shop.