---
title: "Krispy Kreme’s Doughnut-Decorating Robots Were a ‘Supermessy’ Disaster. Now It’s Hiring Humans."
url: https://burnaze.com/article/091ba235-7104-4ec2-8ede-73daf167269a
source: "Entrepreneur Franchise"
original_url: https://www.entrepreneur.com/buying-a-franchise/krispy-kremes-doughnut-decorating-robots-were-a-supermessy-disaster-now-its-hiring-humans
author: "Jonathan Small"
category: "Bakery & breakfast"
industry: "Restaurants"
segment: "Bakery & breakfast"
topics: ["Technology"]
published: 2026-07-07T17:45:00.000Z
modified: 2026-10-31T20:02:55.590Z
image: https://www.entrepreneur.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/krispy-kreme-hiring-people-0726_g1879570519.jpg
---

# Krispy Kreme’s Doughnut-Decorating Robots Were a ‘Supermessy’ Disaster. Now It’s Hiring Humans.

**TL;DR:** Krispy Kreme is hiring human artists to decorate limited-edition doughnuts after its robot experiment failed, and the company is undergoing a broader turnaround after posting losses last year. The human-decorated doughnuts include designs such as Harry Potter and He-Man, and are part of the company's efforts to shift its strategy after a failed partnership with McDonald's.

*By Jonathan Small, originally published in Entrepreneur Franchise on 2026-07-07. [Read the original](https://www.entrepreneur.com/buying-a-franchise/krispy-kremes-doughnut-decorating-robots-were-a-supermessy-disaster-now-its-hiring-humans).*

## Story

The doughnut chain brought in humans to decorate limited-edition Harry Potter and He-Man designs for the social media crowd.

Krispy Kreme was in a hole. The company makes more than one billion doughnuts a year — but when it came to using robots to make its specialty doughnuts Instagram-worthy, the machines couldn’t do it. “It got supermessy,” CEO Josh Charlesworth told *The Wall Street Journal*.

The solution should be music to anyone’s ears who fears robots will replace us. The company is now hiring human artists to create limited-edition designs — Harry Potter, He-Man, Milk Bar collaborations — and doing 15 to 20 special runs a year plus seasonal collections. Customers lined up for a Harry Potter collection last year.

The human pivot is part of a broader turnaround. Krispy Kreme posted losses last year after a high-profile McDonald’s partnership fell flat. The company has since cut costs, shed unprofitable delivery routes and shifted distribution to Walmart, Target and Kroger. Only 25% of its machine capacity is currently being used — meaning there’s plenty of room to grow without adding automation.

In a world obsessed with AI, sometimes even a billion-doughnut operation needs a human touch.

## Entities

- QSR (sector)
- Entrepreneur (publication)
- McDonald's (company)
- Walmart (company)
- Krispy Kreme (company)
- Target (company)
- Kroger (company)
- turnaround strategy (topic)
- Jonathan Small (person)
- limited edition products (topic)
- Josh Charlesworth (person)
- robot failure (topic)

---
Originally reported by Jonathan Small, Entrepreneur Franchise (https://www.entrepreneur.com/buying-a-franchise/krispy-kremes-doughnut-decorating-robots-were-a-supermessy-disaster-now-its-hiring-humans). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/091ba235-7104-4ec2-8ede-73daf167269a).