Food and Drink

Krispy Kreme is giving away glazed doughnuts. Here’s how to get a free one

Krispy Kreme is offering sweet relief in response to a widespread Verizon outage.

On Jan. 14, anyone can get a free original glazed doughnut from 5-7 p.m. at participating Krispy Kreme shops nationwide, according to the Charlotte-based doughnut chain. No purchase is necessary.

“Because some days need a sweet backup plan you can rely on,” the doughnut shop wrote.

A large batch of freshly made original glazed doughnuts are shown on a wire rack. They are a golden brown color with a shiny glaze coating, and the ones in the back are starting to be coated with a white icing.
Charlotte-based Krispy Kreme is best known for its “Hot Now” glazed doughnuts. Photo by Krispy Kreme
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Verizon, the nation’s largest wireless carrier, on Wednesday experienced a crippling outage that left thousands of customers without cell service or an “SOS,” signaling no connection, NBC News reported.

The nationwide disruption was felt locally; In a post on X, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Emergency Management said the outage was impacting residents’ ability to call 911.

“We understand the impact this has on your day and remain committed to resolving this as quickly as possible,” the Verizon said in an update Wednesday afternoon.

There’s no word on when service will be restored.

Find your nearest Krispy Kreme shop here.

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This story was originally published January 14, 2026 at 3:59 PM.

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Tanasia Kenney
Sun Herald
Tanasia is a service journalism reporter at the Charlotte Observer | CharlotteFive, working remotely from Atlanta, Georgia. She covers restaurant openings/closings in Charlotte and statewide explainers for the NC Service Journalism team. She’s been with McClatchy since 2020.
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