McDonald’s, facing its worst US sales slump in more than a decade, is turning to customised menu items in a bid to lure more millennials and shake off its reputation for selling outdated fast food.
To offer more choice, McDonald’s is expanding a build-your-own-burger concept called Create Your Taste. The program, which began at a handful of restaurants in Southern California, lets customers pick out toppings such as jalapenos and tortilla strips using a touch screen. McDonald’s is adding chicken to the project and bringing it to five more states.
The world’s largest restaurant chain posted a 4.6 per cent drop in US same-store sales for November yesterday, marking the steepest monthly decrease since June 2001 -- as well as the 12th-straight month without growth. That’s putting pressure on Chief Executive Officer Don Thompson and US President Mike Andres to revamp operations in the company’s biggest market.
“The company’s on a very short leash at this point,” said R.J. Hottovy, an analyst at Morningstar. in Chicago. “We need to see a fairly solid update within the fourth-quarter results. Otherwise, pressure from shareholders could be more pronounced."
Bloomberg News, edited by Hospitality Ireland
