Cheaper coffee than Starbucks and faster donuts near RNO gates
This Krispy Kreme in Reno Tahoe International’s Main terminal runs as a quick sugar-and-caffeine stop, not a full café. Pricing sits in the $ range, so a coffee and original glazed usually lands under $6. It’s all grab-and-go: drip coffee, prepped drinks, and racks of donuts you can point at and move on within a couple minutes.
Selection is tighter than a street-side Krispy Kreme: expect original glazed plus a handful of basics like chocolate iced and maybe a filled option or two, not the 15–20 varieties you’d see at a big store. Multiple Google reviews call that out, but they also say the standards are there when you just want something sweet before boarding.
Several reviewers mention you can buy half-dozen and dozen boxes, and locals actually do that when flying home. One Yelp user mentioned grabbing a dozen “to bring home” right before security calls final boarding. If you’re connecting through RNO, a taped-up Krispy Kreme box in the overhead bin is a common sight on evening flights.
Freshness drops off later in the day, especially on slower weekday afternoons, according to a few Google and Yelp comments. Morning flights around 6–10 a.m. tend to get the better-tasting batches. Coffee is serviceable but not special; at least two reviewers say Starbucks in the same terminal pours a stronger cup, though the Starbucks line can run 10–15 minutes while Krispy Kreme stays closer to 2–3.
What regulars do: hit Krispy Kreme when the Starbucks queue snakes past the corner, grab a medium coffee and one original glazed, pay in under a minute, and head straight to the Main terminal gates. If you care about freshness, aim for a morning departure and pick donuts that are still slightly warm.
Tip: If you’re buying a box (half-dozen or dozen) to carry on, ask staff which tray was stocked most recently before you commit.