Don't Believe This Krispy Kreme Hot Light Myth

When it comes to donuts, Krispy Kreme knows what it's doing. The popular chain has locations all throughout the country, and its customers keep coming back for more — to the tune of nearly $900 million in sales in 2019, per Statista. Plenty of outlets have ranked Krispy Kreme donuts from favorite to least favorite, but the company is best known for its signature, original glazed donut. These days, KK's menu features donut options such as chocolate glazed, as well as more creative options made with toppings like sprinkles and peanuts.

If you're a big Krispy Kreme fan, you're probably aware of the hot light myth. If not, here's what you need to know: For ages, there have been rumors that if a Krispy Kreme store's Hot & Ready Light (which usually lives on the store's front sign) is lit up, it means that Krispy Kreme is giving out a free donut to customers at that time. But it turns out that the rumor isn't actually true — well, not always. One TikTok user decided to test the theory once and for all.

Krispy Kreme's Hot Light rumor isn't quite true

When TikTok user @baileyhaleigh caught wind of the rumor, she wanted to get to the bottom of it, so when she saw a Krispy Kreme with its Hot Light on, she pulled into the drive-thru to try and score a free donut. However, she was met with disappointment.

Haleigh asked the cashier if it was true that the Hot Light meant the store was giving out free donuts, but she was met with a disappointing "No ma'am" response from the employee taking her drive-thru order. Haleigh asked again to confirm and eventually said she would just pay for her donuts.

Krispy Kreme gave a statement to media outlet Delish back in 2017 that the Hot Light only means that the donuts are just that — hot and ready. They might be fresh off the line, but they're not free. At least, not at every Krispy Kreme. The company also highlighted that Krispy Kreme locations are franchised, which means that individual stores can treat the Hot Light however they please.

Some users commented on Haleigh's TikTok revealing that they have received free donuts when ordering with the Hot Light on. It looks like it may just depend on which location you visit.