There are many variables responsible for what could be a big comeback for the popular quick-service restaurant chain. For one, CEO Steven Easterbrook did spearhead the launch of all-day breakfast in October, a move that followed only nine months' worth of planning.
The change in menu items appears to be more rapid than it used to be; typically, McDonald's menus have about 120 to 140 items, with 100 of them being region-specific. For example, Chicago has the ChiTown Classic, which won the recent Burger Build Off competition in the city. This writer's home country has the Burger McDo, a burger designed for Filipino taste buds, with a different patty recipe and ketchup-and-mayo sauce. There are, however, 40 necessary menu items in the U.S., with this number much lower in international markets, where all-time classics like the hamburger, cheeseburger, fries, and Big Mac are all required staples.
When it comes to deciding on new menu items, McDonald's takes several things into consideration. For example, it thinks of the items certain demographics tend to consume, but to be broader, the QSR chain did share an infographic with a few publications, talking about the things it does when making these decisions.
The first step is planning, where McDonald's "creative team" brainstorms concepts while coming with a concrete plan. The second is a battery of tests at the restaurant's Oak Brook headquarters. Then there are focus groups, where certain groups of consumers are asked to taste-test the potential new additions to the menu. Lastly, several simulations are conducted, as staff members serve the items in a test environment, and the new products are finally served in an actual setting.
For its future plans, McDonald's is naturally cagey, but the company said that it is more focused on menu items than ever before, as opposed to the speed of delivery and other operational concerns.
"Operational efficiency has actually moved down in the ranks of priority because we want to focus most of all on the food," said McDonald's VP of Menu Strategy Lance Richards. "There's an openness to really going after the consumer that's so refreshing. I think there's some bright days ahead."
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