Krispy Kreme Sold Billions Of Donuts In 2022 (That's Billion With A B)

It's no doubt that Krispy Kreme is a frontrunner in the donut and coffee industry. Hailing from North Carolina, the brand has expanded to include 359 stores across 276 United States cities. In a 2020 study, Statista found that Dunkin' beat out Krispy Kreme with 63.83 million customers, but the latter ran in second place with 46.36 million customers that year. This is a pretty big feat considering Starbucks, Panera Bread, Sheetz, and Dunkin' itself all have more United States stores than Krispy Kreme.

Because Krispy Kreme and Dunkin' are the two most popular chains, there are often discussions regarding which is better than the other. A mere month ago, a Reddit user asked other Redditers which of the two they preferred, and the answers, at least from a donut standpoint, overwhelmingly leaned toward Krispy Kreme. "Krispy Kreme because they are light and fluffy...and that glaze is the stuff of dreams," read one comment. "For donuts? Kristy Kreme, specifically a hot one," wrote one user, continuing "There's no comparison between the two. DD donuts almost always taste stale and KKs always taste fresh." 

It seems like many Americans agree, as Krispy Kreme sold a breathtaking amount of donuts in 2022.

Krispy Kreme saw record-high sales in 2022. According to Restaurant Business, the brand sold 1.63 billion donuts, and overall, sales rose 9% to $404.6 million. In order to focus all its attention on stores bringing in this type of revenue, the brand plans to close seven locations this year on top of the 14 already shut down in the last year.

The donut giant is great at bringing in customers using special promotions throughout the year. In May of 2022, it awarded a free dozen donuts to the year's graduating class so long as they were wearing proof of alumni spirit (per Business Wire). The dozen wasn't only made up of traditional glazed donuts, either. Instead, the brand also offered Chocolate Iced Kreme Filled Donuts, Cake Batter Filled, and Strawberry Iced Kreme. Four donuts in each box were able to be customized. 

In another celebration, Krispy Kreme spent its 85^th birthday giving out free donuts on July 15, 2022. These deals help pull customers in, which results in repeat business that drives overall numbers.