May 22, 2013

McDonald's

All Hail the Crew
December 2012

They open and close the store and keep it running in the time between. They cook and serve your food, operate your drive thru, and even empty the trash and clean the bathrooms.

But most importantly, your crewmembers are the ones who represent your brand to the customer, and they can...

Lessons in Facebook

Most brands have been on Facebook for years, but a campaign earlier this year helped McDonald’s prove that quick serves can achieve a big return on investment on the popular social-media site.

The fast-food heavyweight saw an increase in sales and guest counts after its campaign,...

Fancy Fast Food
December 2012

The days of dingy, dull, and outdated fast-food joints may soon be a thing of the past. Quick serves are meeting the demands of an evolving consumer base to remain competitive with the fast-casual sphere, using everything from sleek interiors with comfortable booths and flat-screen televisions...

Lasting Impressions from Roy Bergold
December 2012

Now I don’t have a suit or a job. QSR, in an effort to offer you, the reader, some new voices to hear from, has decided to discontinue this column. Egad! I’m canceled. I’ve never been canceled.

Seven years and 84 columns. That’s a great run for any writer. I’...

Strikes Hit the Big Apple's Largest Fast Food Chains

New Yorkers saw 200 workers on strike this week at the city’s largest fast food chains, as employees at dozens of McDonald's, Burger Kings, and Taco Bells held a one day strike to call for higher wages to support their families and the right to form a union without interference.

McDonald’s is New Official Restaurant Sponsor of NFL

Football fans have even more to celebrate this NFL season at McDonald’s, the new Official Restaurant Sponsor of the NFL. As part of a multi-year agreement, McDonald’s will become the presenting sponsor of the 2013 Pro Bowl and be able to feature the NFL Shield and collective use of...

Moshi Monsters Crawl into McD's Happy Meals for LTO

Mind Candy, creator of the globally-successful Moshi Monsters franchise, and McDonald's USA LLC, the nation's leading foodservice provider, announces a promotional partnership that will feature premium characters within McDonald's Happy Meals at participating restaurants across North...

McDonald's President Jan Fields to Leave the Brand

McDonald's Corporation announces that Jeff Stratton, currently global chief restaurant officer, will succeed Jan Fields as president of McDonald's USA, effective December 1. Fields will be leaving after more than 35 years with the company.

A New Age for Women
November 2012

This is not the 1950s. Women aren’t confined to the home, cooking, cleaning, and caring for the kids (unless they want to, of course), nor can they only find work as secretaries in a male-dominated corporate world. No, today, women have power: They can balance work and family life; they...

Quick Service, Past and Present
November 2012

This month’s issue talks about demographics and how quick-service customers have changed over the years. You can find numbers and charts in another part of the magazine, so I thought it would be fun to give you my perspective on the changes, considering I started at McDonald’s in...

McDonald's Lends a Hand to Hurricane Sandy Victims

McDonald's Corporation announced it will contribute to Hurricane Sandy disaster relief efforts with a donation of $500,000 to the American Red Cross.

"Our hearts go out to everyone in the East Coast community, including our employees, customers, and suppliers, who have been...

Windy City Named Hot Spot for McD’s All American Games

The McDonald’s All American Games will stay in Chicago through 2015. After Windy City fans shattered the event’s attendance record in 2011, and returned in-force for the 2012 Games, McDonald’s and the United Center agreed to a two-year contract extension, including an option to...

For Subway and Dunkin' Donuts, Simple is Best

For three years running, the quick-service segment, including Subway, Dunkin’ Donuts, and McDonald’s, is considered one of the simplest industries by U.S. consumers (ranking No. 2 out of 25 industries) according to results from the third annual Global Brand Simplicity Index.

...

Chefs Use McDonald's Ingredients for Charity

McDonald’s of the Greater Bay Area invited three well-known Bay Area chefs to use the very same ingredients you would find in your local McDonald’s to create a one-night-only gourmet dining experience to benefit Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Bay Area and Harvest from the...

2012 QSR Drive-Thru Study
October 2012

The drive-thru operation of a quick-service restaurant may seem relatively cut and dried, but operators aren’t resting on their laurels when it comes to their outdoor business. For many brands in the industry, the drive thru can account for anywhere between 50 and 70 percent of sales...

Monopoly at McDonald's Returns with One-in-Four Odds

The Monopoly Game at McDonald's is back for the 20th edition in nearly 14,000 U.S. restaurants, bringing with it one-in-four odds of winning, multiple ways to play, and more than $300 million in cash and great prizes. The excitement begins in restaurants September 25 and continues...

McDonald's to Host Family Health & Safety Day in Arizona

McDonald's restaurants throughout greater Phoenix and northern Arizona will host Family Health & Safety Day, September 29, at 9 a.m., an unprecedented child safety event that will give away 20,000 bicycle helmets.

Parents that visit their local McDonald's restaurant with their...

Drive Time
September 2012

Breakfast is on a roll.

Even though most Americans prepare or eat their morning meals at home, an increasing number of them are opting for breakfast on the way to work, particularly at quick-service restaurant locations.

Nearly half of consumers visited a limited-service restaurant...

McDonald's Plays Ahead of Nutrition Curve

Though impending federal legislation will soon require all 20-plus-unit chains to post calorie info on menus, many were shocked that McDonald’s was one of the first to proactively do so nationwide.

McDonald’s, however, sees its move more as a sign of the times, realizing that...

Winning the Blame Game
September 2012

There’s a man who panhandles at a North Carolina grocery store every day, even in the intense, humid summers. His faithful dog, Sugar, keeps him company as passing motorists hand him money or maybe a small bag of groceries.