RISE - Menu Monitor

McDonald’s restaurants in Denver are now offering items with a Colorado “Smart Meal” seal, indicating that the item has 700
calories or less and meets other guidelines from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. The chain is
currently offering 11 meals with the seal on them, containing no more than 30% total fat, no more than 0.5 grams of trans fat,
no more than 1,500 milligrams of sodium and two or more servings of fruits, vegetables, beans or whole grains. McDonald’s
plans to expand the line in all of its locations throughout the state. (Rockymountainnews.com 7/10/07)
McDonald’s plans to add new items to its breakfast menu to help counteract breakfast inroads by Starbucks, Burger King and
other chains. McDonald’s will add specialty coffee and new sandwiches in hopes of continuing to dominate the breakfast
market. (Chicagobusiness.com 7/25/07)
McDonald’s is testing the addition of flavor shots to the beverage fountain at its Kansas City units and Bryan-College Station,
TX, locations. The quick-service chain is teaming with Coca-Cola to offer flavor additions such as vanilla, cherry and berryblue
to cold drinks. (QSRMagazine.com 8/23/07)
McDonald’s locations in Arizona will offer iced coffee beginning September 4. The coffee will be available in regular, vanilla
and hazelnut and are priced at $1.69 for a 24-oz. and $1.99 for a 32-oz. In addition, the chain will offer a free 12-oz. iced
coffee with any purchase September 12–15. Iced coffee has been available in select markets, including Chicago, throughout
the summer. (Bizjournals.com 8/29/07)
McDonald’s premiered its Angus Third Pounders in the New York and Central Ohio markets after receiving positive customer
feedback from the menu item’s premiere in Southern California last March. The burgers are made with 100% USDA-inspected
Angus beef and include ingredients such as red onions, sautéed mushrooms, iceberg lettuce and sliced red tomatoes on a
bakery-style sesame-seed roll. Angus Third Pounders are offered in three varieties: Angus Mushroom and Swiss, Angus
Deluxe and Angus Bacon and Cheese. (PRNewswire 8/17/07; QSRMagazine.com 8/20/07)
McDonald’s added a Chipotle BBQ Snack Wrap to its menu. The new item features crispy or grilled all-white meat chicken
breast, shredded lettuce and cheese, drizzled with smoky chipotle BBQ sauce and wrapped in a soft flour tortilla. This latest
snack addition is priced at $1.39. (NRN Daily NewsFax 8/1/07)
McDonald’s is expanding its niche in the specialty coffee industry. The chain’s McCafé outlets are capitalizing on the coffee
trend by offering lattes, cappuccinos and iced brews in 9,000 U.S. McDonald’s restaurants. McDonald’s prices are lower than
those of competitors. McCafé menus specialty coffee drinks for approximately 26% less than Starbucks’ prices. Starbucks
controls 52% of the global specialty coffee market and McCafé is ranked fifth with 1.7%, according to Euromonitor
International Plc. Almost six in 10 adults drink coffee, according to the National Coffee Association, making it the second most
popular beverage after water. (Bloomberg.com 9/11/07)
McDonald’s is adding lattes, cappuccinos and other specialty drinks in all of its 14,000 U.S. units next year, according to
planning documents obtained by Crain’s. The company is predicting a $1 billion increase in volume from the additional coffee
beverages. McDonald’s has estimated retrofitting costs to average $100,000 per location for automatic brewing equipment and
drive-thru modifications. It expects to have latte and cappuccino equipment in 1,500 locations by the end of 2007. In addition,
franchisees will also have to install smoothie makers and wall-mounted refrigerators for bottled sodas and energy drinks.
(Crain’s Chicago Business Online 10/1/07; NRN Daily NewsFax 10/2/07)
McDonald’s Corp. will introduce the McSkillet Burrito to all of its U.S. restaurants by late November. The McSkillet Burrito is
the chain’s first breakfast sandwich addition since 2003. A burrito featuring steak, scrambled eggs, potatoes, cheese and red
and green peppers, has been testing in certain markets. Another version replacing the steak with sausage is expected as well.
(Chicago Tribune 11/10/07, NRN.com 11/18/07)
McDonald’s Corp. intends to roll out premium coffee drinks in all of its U.S. stores beginning next year. There are currently
more than 800 stores test-marketing the new line of beverages. The rollout is slated to run through 2009. Also, the company
says a Southern-style chicken biscuit breakfast sandwich will be released in 2008. (Yahoo! Finance 11/13/07)
McDonald’s unveiled the McSkillet Burrito nationwide November 27. TV, radio and print ads, along with in-store displays, are
supporting the launch. The company plans to conduct sampling events in December to help introduce the product, and will
also hold a “surprise event” February 29. (Brandweek.com 11/27/07, NRN.com 11/27/07)
Franchise Activity |
McDonald’s franchisee, Carter Co. Inc., will demolish its McDonald’s unit next to Wichita State University in May and rebuilding
before the students return to classes for the fall semester. The new building will be more modern and relevant to customers.
The rebuilding project will cost $1 million and the franchisee will share the cost with McDonald’s Corp. (Wichita Business
Journal 4/20/07)
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