Krispy Kreme Is Enlisting Robots To Fill & Frost Its Doughnuts

Just as Krispy Kreme beat Chick-fil-A in MBLM’s Brand Intimacy Study to clinch the top spot as America’s most beloved fast-food brand, the chain’s CEO has revealed in an interview with Yahoo Finance that robots will soon join its workforce to frost and fill doughnuts. 

Given that the company recently started supplying its delectable treats to McDonald’s, it’s no wonder it’s looking for ways to ramp up production and minimize wait time by automating its production line. 

CEO Mike Tattersfield tells the publication the machines would start joining the firm’s lineup within the next 18 months, and will help out with “the frosting, the filling, the sprinkles, and even the packaging.” 

These robots certainly have their work cut out for them, as Krispy Kreme delivers over 12,000 points of access each day globally, including third-party retailers and convenience stores, and if McDonald’s plans to expand its test run with the brand, that number will only start to climb. 

The automated lines are expected to produce 18% of the chain’s total donut output, which would return an estimated US$2 million of annual savings on an initial US$6 million investment to get everything set up. 

Despite the introduction of robots, Tattersfield emphasized that the brand’s employees—known as Krispy Kremers—will still remain at the core of its business, and that the machines will only be taking over tedious tasks. 

[via Yahoo Finance and Food Business News, cover image via Logan Swenson | Dreamstime.com]