Krispy Kreme's Hot Light Is Not What You Think It Is (2024)

Chris Rock put it better than any of us ever could have when he likened Krispy Kreme to crack. Those donuts are addicting — and all the more so when they're fresh out of the oven. Every shop has a neon sign that lights up when bakers pull the trays out, and for years, a rumor's been circling that you can get a free donut if you see the light in all its glory. We were curious to get to the bottom of it, because nothing's better than a hot and fresh donut than a free hot and fresh donut. But the internet proved to be a black hole of contradicting answers, so we went straight to the source.

Here's the (unfortunate) truth, per an email from Krispy Kreme's communications department: "The Hot Light signals that donuts are hot and fresh coming off the line, not a free donut. Some shops sometimes offer samples, but that isn't dependent on the Hot Light being on." Ugh. But when we pressed further, we found out something sort of promising. Krispy Kreme is a franchise business, which means many of its locations are run by individuals who can make their Hot Lights mean whatever they want. "There may be groups that continue it at random intervals," Krispy Kreme shared in a follow-up email.

So if it used to be the case at every store, it's not anymore. You can however be updated when Hot Lights are turned on without even getting off your couch and driving past a Krispy Kreme. The donut chain created an app — the Hot Light app — that notifies customers when nearby locations have just pulled some donuts out of the oven. Do nut say we never gave you anything…

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