Krispy Kreme Exiting Pre-Packaged Business, Shutting Down N.C. Plant

March 16, 2023

Processing facility in Concord, N.C., employed 102 workers and will shut down May 11, with the company shifting focus back to fresh doughnut business.

Andy Hanacek

Krispy Kreme doughnuts will shift its focus back toward the hot, fresh doughnuts model once again, with news breaking of the closure of the company’s pre-packaged doughnut business.

The company will close its Concord, N.C., processing plant on May 11, according to reports, forcing the layoff of 102 workers and the official exit out of the retail snack-aisle business for Krispy Kreme, after less than three years in the segment.

The company released a statement to local media outlets discussing the pullback into the "hot, now" doughnuts, legacy business that made Krispy Kreme what it is today. “Our fresh daily doughnut business is strong, profitable, and growing quickly. This is the area where we are focusing our investments and resources. Because of this, we chose to exit our underperforming, extended shelf-life snack aisle business and cease production at our manufacturing facility in Concord, N.C., where these snack aisle products were made.”

About the Author

Andy Hanacek | Senior Editor

Andy Hanacek has covered meat, poultry, bakery and snack foods as a B2B editor for nearly 20 years, and has toured hundreds of processing plants and food companies, sharing stories of innovation and technological advancement throughout the food supply chain. In 2018, he won a Folio:Eddie Award for his unique "From the Editor's Desk" video blogs, and he has brought home additional awards from Folio and ASBPE over the years. In addition, Hanacek led the Meat Industry Hall of Fame for several years and was vice president of communications for We R Food Safety, a food safety software and consulting company.