Krispy Kreme Promises Healthier Balance Sheet Amid Recovery

Doughnuts inside a Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Inc. store in New York.

Photographer: Angus Mordant/Bloomberg

Krispy Kreme Inc. expects leverage to decline further this year as it advances its turnaround plan following the end of its US partnership with McDonald’s Corp.

The Charlotte., N.C.-based company projectsBloomberg Terminal net leverage at or below 5.5 times in 2026 while generating positive cash flow. Leverage stood at 6.7 times at the end of 2025 and is expected to fall below 6 by the end of the first quarter, Chief Executive Officer Josh Charlesworth said in an interview.