CHARLOTTE, NC. — Krispy Kreme Inc. is continuing its international expansion with plans to enter Spain next year.

The Charlotte, NC-based donut and baked foods brand has unveiled a joint venture with Glaseadas Originales, a food retailer based in Boadilla Del Monte, Spain, to offer Krispy Kreme fresh donuts to Spanish consumers, beginning in 2025 at a Hot Light Theater Shop in Madrid.

Krispy Kreme said it’s a minority investor in the Spain venture, announced Aug. 1. Plans call for the company to establish more than 500 fresh points of access in key cities — including Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia and Malaga — over the next five years.

To boost its international presence, Krispy Kreme has adopted a “hub and spoke model” that the company said provides a “capital-efficient” way to bring its donuts to more consumers worldwide. Back in May, during Krispy Kreme’s first-quarter earnings call, Joshua Charlesworth, president and chief executive officer, said the company raised its long-term goal to expand global points of access from 75,000 to 100,000 to “improve the quick-service restaurant opportunity.”

McDonald’s Corp. may represent over 12,000 new US points of access for Krispy Kreme by the end of 2026, Charlesworth noted in the call. In late March, the companies announced an expansion of their partnership, with plans to offer Krispy Kreme donuts at all US McDonald’s restaurants in a rollout running from the second half of 2024 through the close of 2026.  

Internationally, Krispy Kreme earlier announced planned expansions in Germany, Brazil and France. Charlesworth said in the first-quarter call that those expansions could give Krispy Kreme 33,000 global points of access by the end of 2026.

Krispy Kreme defines points of access as all locations where fresh donuts or cookies can be purchased, while hubs are locations where fresh donuts are made and processed for sale at any point of access. In announcing the Spain joint venture, Krispy Kreme said it currently has more than 14,000 access points and operates in more than 35 countries via fresh donut shops, partnerships with retailers and e-commerce/delivery businesses.

“After a tremendous response in Europe following our successful entry into France and the announcement to open in Germany, we couldn’t be more excited to bring the Krispy Kreme experience to Spain,” said Raphael Duvivier, chief development officer at Krispy Kreme. “We believe our fresh donuts will be a wonderful addition to the thriving Spanish food market.”