With half-moon-shaped booths, low stools, wooden blinds and flat-screen TVs, most patrons might expect to pay $8 for a burger, or $4 for a smoothie. But the decor isn’t a harbinger of price. This is the new look of a remodeled McDonald’s, purveyor of Happy Meals and value deals as well as upscale coffee drinks.

The Oak Brook-based burger chain is reaching critical mass on a nearly decade-long, multibillion-dollar global renovation and rebuilding project it is betting will boost sales, traffic and brand perception. Restaurants undergoing simultaneous interior and exterior remodels are expected to see a 6 percent to 7 percent increase in same-store sales upon reopening, no matter where they are located.

Continue reading . . .

Pledges Olympic Commitment to Championing Generations of Happy, Active Kids

McDonald's Announces Eight-Year Extension of Top Olympic Sponsorship Through 2020

Innsbruck, Austria  (RestaurantNews.com)  McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE: MCD) today announced its renewal as a TOP (The Olympic Partner Program) Sponsor through the 2020 Olympic Games and pledged its commitment to champion generations of happy, active kids. On the eve of the inaugural Winter Youth Olympic Games in Innsbruck, Austria, McDonald’s President and Chief Operating Officer Don Thompson and Executive Vice President and Global Chief Brand Officer Kevin Newell joined International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge to formally announce the renewal.

“As the Official Restaurant of the Olympic Games, we take tremendous pride in feeding the athletes and visitors from around the world, and are excited to play a role in helping make the Olympics possible,” said Thompson. “In keeping with McDonald’s ongoing commitment to children’s well-being, we will continue to communicate with kids about the importance of balanced eating and active lifestyles through our partnership with the Games.”

“We are delighted that McDonald’s is announcing its renewal, building on our work together for more than 35 years,” said Rogge. “McDonald’s provides a positive and inspirational connection to the Olympic spirit, sharing the Olympic values with its customers across the globe. We are very proud that McDonald’s is the Official Restaurant of the Games, and know that athletes and spectators hugely appreciate McDonald’s.”

McDonald’s long-standing support of sports initiatives for kids extends beyond the 17 days of the Games to include programs that promote physical activity at the local, national and global levels through partnerships with thousands of sporting associations. McDonald’s franchisees around the world support their local communities through grassroots sponsorships ranging from little league baseball teams in the U.S., to youth football (soccer) teams in the UK, to backing Olympic hopefuls in Canada and South Korea.

“As a TOP Sponsor, we challenge ourselves to keep raising our game and evolving our sponsorship through programs like McDonald’s Champions of Play,” said Newell. “Olympic athletes are great role models for kids today, and their ability to motivate children and families to get active is unparalleled. McDonald’s looks forward to connecting kids with Olympic athletes — and helping them see that no dream is beyond their reach.”

Dara Torres, a five-time U.S. Olympic swimmer and mom, serves as McDonald’s global ambassador for the Champions of Play program. In this role, Torres inspires kids and families to get engaged with physical activity through digital websites, appearances and other activities.

“As a customer and an athlete, I’ve personally benefitted from McDonald’s long history of supporting the Olympic Movement,” said Torres. “In my role as global ambassador for McDonald’s Champions of Play, I’m thrilled to join McDonald’s in supporting active play and balanced eating.”

McDonald’s Olympic Sponsorship Highlights

• Official Restaurant: McDonald’s continues as the Official Restaurant on-site at the four Olympic Games that follow London 2012, including: Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games, Rio 2016 Olympic Games, Pyeongchang 2018 Olympic Winter Games, and the 2020 Olympic Games (to be announced in 2013).
• Youth Olympic Games: McDonald’s TOP sponsorship also includes support for the Youth Olympic Games that will be held in Nanjing in 2014; the Lillehammer 2016 Winter Youth Olympic Games; as well as the Youth Olympic Games in 2018 and 2020.
• McDonald’s Olympic Champion Crew: McDonald’s best-of-the-best restaurant employees and managers from across the globe will come together at the Games as McDonald’s Olympic Champion Crew to serve the world’s best athletes, as well as coaches, media and spectators at McDonald’s Olympic venue restaurants. At the London 2012 Games, McDonald’s will assemble the largest crew ever, with approximately 2,000 top performers from the UK and around the world.
• McDonald’s Champions of Play: McDonald’s is launching a new program around the globe that will bring kids together for a once-in-a-lifetime experience at the London 2012 Olympic Games. Up to 200 children and their guardians will be selected to see the Games firsthand, and have the exclusive privilege of playing with athletes at the Olympic venues. Children will be recruited through grassroots programs that will roll out over the next few months leading up to the London Games. As part of the Champions of Play program, the majority of McDonald’s markets will showcase:
  • A Champions of Play website featuring Olympic athletes which will inspire kids to get active, and track their physical activities online through a series of engaging challenges.
  • Special Happy Meal packaging and in-restaurant materials, such as Champions of Play Playbooks and Fun Times Magazine, will include information and tips to encourage balanced eating and fun play.

Dr. Paul Gately, Carnegie Professor of Exercise and Obesity at Leeds Metropolitan University, is working closely with McDonald’s as a member of its Global Advisory Council to develop activities and challenges that will be featured on the website and help encourage and inspire kids to get active.

“McDonald’s is helping bring the Olympic spirit to life for kids through the imaginative challenges on the Champions of Play website,” said Dr. Gately. “These activities are being designed to get kids excited about fun play and educate them about the importance of being active.”

About McDonald’s and the Olympic Games

McDonald’s commitment to the Olympic Movement began in 1968, when the company airlifted hamburgers to U.S. athletes in Grenoble, France, after they reported being homesick for American food. McDonald’s has served its menu of choice and variety to millions of athletes, their coaches, families and fans. London 2012 marks the ninth consecutive Games that McDonald’s will feed the athletes as the Official Restaurant of the Olympic Games.

About McDonald’s

McDonald’s is the world’s leading global foodservice retailer with more than 33,000 locations serving approximately 64 million customers in 119 countries each day. More than 80% of McDonald’s restaurants worldwide are owned and operated by independent local men and women. To learn more about the company, please visit www.aboutmcdonalds.com and follow us on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/mcdonaldscorp) and Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/mcdonaldscorp).

Top 20 Restaurant News Stories 2011

Stick a fork in it.  2011 is done.  And almost every media outlet in the world has put together some type of Top Stories list.  RestaurantNews.com has been serving up online restaurant news for over 12 years, but this is the first time we’ve stepped up to the Year in  Review buffet.

Following is a list of the Top 20 stories read on RestaurantNews.com over the past year.

Update: Top 100 stories of 2011.


20) Mesob Ethiopian Restaurant Owners Receive 2011 Faces of Diversity Award
In April, the National Restaurant Association honored Ethiopian sisters Berekti and Akberet Mengistu, owner-operators of Mesob restaurant in Montclair, N.J., with its 2011 Faces of Diversity American Dream Award.  The Mengistu sisters have operated Mesob for over seven years with Berekti handling the business operations and Akberet serving as chef.

19) Seafood Specialties, Culinary Confections Ring In The New Year At The Grand Central Oyster Bar
Grand Central Oyster Bar made a surprising, last minute jump into our Top 20 with the annoucement of executive chef Sandy Ingber special New Year’s Eve menu of seafood delicacies available for lunch and dinner at the historic restaurant “below sea level” in Grand Central Terminal.

18) Outback Steakhouse Free Steak Dinner Deal a Restaurant Marketing Win
Outback Steakhouse made a move that dominated restaurant marketing news in August by giving away one million free steak dinners in its Great Aussie Steak Out promotion.  The promotion was designed to introduce Outback’s new wood-fire grill steak preparation and new menu options.  RestaurantNews.com served up a tasty review of the campaign.

17) National Restaurant Association Responds to the State of the Union Address
The National Restaurant Association responded to President Obama’s job creation speech in January, and called attention to its “America Works Here” campaign which was formed to help educate opinion leaders, policymakers, and their staff members about the breadth, depth, scope and influence of the restaurant industry on the American economy.

16) Restaurants Tossing a Summer of Salads
It was the Summer of Salads as restaurants across America offered up a super summer salad fiesta. If you’re a salad lover, then you were in for a summer of tasty green treats.  RestaurantNews.com took a look at the salad offerings of several national restaurant chains.

15) KFC Launches New 10-Piece Buckets, Helps Cash-Strapped Choirs
To launch its new 10-piece 10 Buck Sunday Bucket deal in March, Kentucky Fried Chicken offered 11 struggling choirs across the country $1,000 grants to help keep their harmonies alive.  Members of The St. Louis Children’s Choirs kicked off the program at a KFC restaurant in St. Louis.

14) IHOP Offers New Chicken and Waffles For Limited Time
In March, IHOP rolled out its Chicken and Waffles, becoming the first restaurant chain to offer the combination nationwide.  The Chicken and Waffles, a limited time promotion, included four golden all white meat chicken tenders with four light and crisp Belgian waffle quarters.

13) McDonald’s Introduces New McCafe Shakes
In February, McDonald’s announced plans to “shake things up” with the introduction of the McCafe Shake in its restaurants.  The McCafe Shakes feature the three classic milkshake flavors (chocolate, vanilla and strawberry) in a clear McCafe cup, topped with whipped cream and a cherry.

12) McDonald’s Reintroduces the Asian Salad
McDonald’s brought back its popular Asian Salad in May for a limited time.  The Asian Salad consists of greens, edamame, snow peas, red bell peppers, mandarin oranges, toasted almonds and an orange-glazed grilled or crispy white meat chicken breast filet.

11) Restaurants Serving Up Social Media Connections
Many restaurants today are still left sitting at the cutting board trying to figure out a successful recipe for social marketing, while the early adopters are reaping the rewards of a lucrative, successful social media push.  People are hungry for much more than food. They want to feel connected, and social media allows them to feel as if they are a part of the whole restaurant family.

10) Cracker Barrel and The Grascals Celebrate #1 Debut on Billboard Bluegrass Chart
In January, Cracker Barrel Old Country Store and The Grascals announced the #1 debut of The Grascals & Friends – Country Classics with a Bluegrass Spin on the Billboard Top Bluegrass Albums chart.  The CD is part of Cracker Barrel’s exclusive music program.

9) Five Emerging Trends in the Foodservice Industry
In today’s competitive foodservice industry, it’s becoming increasingly important for brands to engage guests and employees in a more meaningful and personal manner.  Steve Prodger, Vice President of Food Services with Empathica, reviewed how restaurants could gain a better understanding of the ways customers want to be engaged and how that information can be used to earn lifelong, loyal clientele.

8) IHOP’s All You Can Eat Pancakes Promotion is Back
IHOP brought back its limited time All You Can Eat Pancakes promotion at the beginning of the year.  IHOP guests could order unlimited pancakes, served three at a time, for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

7) McDonald’s Offers New Fruit & Maple Oatmeal
McDonald’s kicked off the year with the introduction of its Fruit & Maple Oatmeal, made with whole grains, light cream, brown sugar, red and green apples, cranberries, and two varieties of raisins.  The breakfast item is available throughout the day at any McDonald’s location, comes with or without brown sugar, and is also available in a less sweetened version.

6) SONIC Adds Four New Premium Beef Hot Dogs to Menu
Hot dogs have been an American favorite for generations. At the beginning of the year, Every Day with Rachael Ray declared 2011 as the Year of the Hot Dog.  SONIC agreed, rolling out a new line of Premium Beef Hot Dogs with a variety of toppings.  The drive-in restaurant chain offered up a Chicago Dog, a New York Dog, an All-American Dog and the Chili Cheese Coney for $1.99 each.

5) After 119 Years, the Ice Cream Sundae Still a Restaurant Favorite
In April, the ice cream sundae celebrated its 119th birthday.  Over the years, they became a mainstay in the restaurant industry, evolving and giving birth to a new generation of restaurant sundaes including the McFlurry and the Blizzard.  RestaurantNews.com took a look at ice cream sundaes offered up by some of your favorite restaurants.

4) Burger King Offers Original Chicken Sandwich Deal for Fourth of July Weekend
Burger King’s flame-broiled Whopper may be the burger chain’s most famous menu item, but with a price point of $1.04, the Original Chicken Sandwich ruled the roost during a Fourth of July weekend promotion.  The crispy, premium white meat chicken patty topped with shredded lettuce and mayo on a bakery-style, sesame seed bun has been a menu favorite since 1979.

3) Pizza Hut Launches Ultimate Cheese Lover’s with $10.99 Any Lover’s Deal and Facebook Sweepstakes
Pizza Hut launched its Ultimate Cheese Lover’s pizza in May.  The company offered up the Ultimate Cheese Lover’s, the Pepperoni Lover’s, the Meat Lover’s, and the Veggie Lover’s for $10.99.  The pizza chain also began running its Ultimate Lover’s Lover Facebook sweepstakes, awarding a $50 Pizza Hut gift cards daily and free pizza for a year for weekly winners.

2) Golden Corral Restaurants Launch Endless Baby Back Ribs Promo
Golden Corral rolled out an abundance of new ribs products in April, including Baby Back Ribs. This array of  freshly-prepared BBQ ribs products was in addition to the buffet chain’s 150-item, every day dinner buffet, which includes slow-cooked Pot Roast, made-from-scratch Meatloaf, and grilled-to-order USDA dinner buffet Sirloin Steaks.

1) Phillips Seafood Opens Two New Airport Restaurants
In July, Phillips Seafood announced the opening of two new airport restaurant locations: Newark Liberty International as well as Harrisburg International Airport bringing the total to nine successful airport restaurant operations.  Both full service locations feature a traditional Phillips menu offering signature crab dishes, genuine Maryland style favorites and specialty drinks.  The restaurants are franchises with two leading concessionaires.

Northern California McDonald's Offers Free Small Coffee During Tough Economic Times

Sacramento, CA  (RestaurantNews.com)  Local McDonald’s restaurants will be kicking off the new year by offering a free small cup of coffee to its customers in the Greater Sacramento, Stockton, and Modesto area. Beginning Monday, January 2, all local McDonald’s restaurants throughout Northern California will be offering a free small Premium Roast Coffee made with 100 percent fire-roasted Arabaca Beans to all customers during business hours with no purchase necessary. This program is local McDonald’s way of saying thank you to their customers and offering a helping hand at the start of the new year.

“In this challenging economic climate, we know that many are struggling to make ends meet and this is our way of lending support during these difficult times,” said Steven Ramirez, a local McDonald’s restaurant owner from Elk Grove. “As the holiday season comes to a close and budgets become tight, we hope this program will offer some comfort to our community and also warm them up a little during this cold, winter season.”

The free coffee program will last two weeks, beginning Monday, January 2 and ending on Sunday, January 15. Restaurants participating in the program reside in the following counties:

• Sacramento
• Placer
• Nevada
• Sutter
• Yuba
• Yolo
• El Dorado (not including S. Lake Tahoe restaurants)
• Solano (not including restaurants west of Fairfield)
• San Joaquin
• Stanislaus
• Amador
• Calaveras
• Tuolumne
• Colusa

About McDonald’s

There are over 160 McDonald’s Restaurants in the Greater Sacramento/Stockton/Modesto Area, owned and operated by more than 54 franchisees. McDonald’s USA, LLC, is the leading foodservice provider in the United States, serving a variety of wholesome foods made from quality ingredients to millions of customers every day. More than 80 percent of McDonald’s 13, 700 U.S. restaurants are independently owned and operated by local franchisees. For more information, please visit www.mcdonalds.com or visit us on twitter @McD_NorCal.

Contact

for McDonald’s
Clay Merrill, 916-544-2820
or
Jake Mossawir, 916-833-7552

McDonald’s and two other fast-food chains have stopped using an ammonia-treated burger ingredient that meat industry critics deride as “pink slime.”

The product remains widely used as low-fat beef filling in burger meat, including in school meals. But some consumer advocates worry that attacks on the product by food activist Jamie Oliver and others will discourage food manufacturers from developing new methods of keeping deadly pathogens out of their products.

The beef is processed by Beef Products Inc. of Dakota Dunes at plants at Waterloo, Iowa, and in three other states. One of the company’s chief innovations is to cleanse the beef of E. coli bacteria and other dangerous microbes by treating it with ammonium hydroxide, one of many chemicals used at various stages in the meat industry to kill pathogens.

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Shares 2011 Progress Led by Menu & Food Sourcing Advancements

McDonald's Works to Mainstream Sustainability

Oak Brook, IL  (RestaurantNews.com)  McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE: MCD) today released its 2011 Sustainability Scorecard and reinforced its commitment to mainstreaming sustainability for customers through the company’s actions and collaboration with suppliers, experts and the food industry as a whole.

The 2011 Scorecard highlights the company’s progress in five priority areas, including significant advancements related to menu evolution and sustainable sourcing. For example:

• By the end of March 2012, fruit will automatically be included in every Happy Meal served in U.S. and Latin America restaurants. Additional changes, including a new smaller size of French Fries only available in Happy Meals, will result in reductions in calories and fat for the most popular Happy Meals;

• More than 95 percent of McDonald’s restaurants around the world offer Happy Meals with sides of fruit, vegetables, or low-fat dairy as an option;

• As part of the Sustainable Land Management Commitment, which outlines the company’s commitment to sourcing all of its food and packaging from sustainable sources over time, McDonald’s has made measurable progress in its five initial focus areas of beef, poultry, coffee, palm oil and fiber;

• All fish for McDonald’s Filet-O-Fish sandwich is wild caught, and currently 99 percent is sourced from Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)-certified fisheries.

These actions are aligned with the company’s focus on leveraging its brand recognition and core competencies as a food company to influence wide-reaching and sustainable change.

“We will continue to use our size, scope, and talent to make a positive difference for children, families and communities around the world,” said Jim Skinner, McDonald’s CEO. “Doing so creates value for both our company and our stakeholders.”

In addition to food and food sourcing, McDonald’s continues to focus on, and achieve measurable progress in, three other areas central to its sustainability strategy — Environmental Responsibility, Employee Experience and Community.

Environmental Responsibility

• In 2011, McDonald’s developed stronger energy-related metrics, with a focus on company-owned restaurants. McDonald’s top nine major markets made significant improvements in energy data gathering and reporting capabilities.

• The company made available for purchase more than 90 pieces of more energy-efficient equipment to the McDonald’s system, as well as introduced “energy bundles” — packages of recommended restaurant improvements that combine simple changes like energy-efficient lighting with newer tools such as occupancy sensors.

• Across all markets, these reduction efforts are enabling our restaurant energy use to remain steady, despite increases in restaurant hours, equipment and menu items.

Employment Experience

• McDonald’s continues to focus on developing its people through a wide array of education, job training and life skills opportunities. For example, in the U.S., the average restaurant manager completes the equivalent of approximately 21 credit hours — one semester of college — that can be transferred to many public and private schools and applied toward a two- or four-year degree. Similarly, 96 percent of company-operated restaurants have a restaurant manager who has trained at the company’s world-class learning center, Hamburger University.

• The company’s long-standing leadership stance in the area of diversity and inclusion continues to be a competitive strength. For example, more than 50 percent of company-operated restaurant managers and nearly 30 percent of the worldwide top management team are women.

Community

• For almost 40 years, Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) has been the charity of choice for McDonald’s. Since 2002, countries around the world have raised nearly $170 million during McHappy Day/Give a Hand events, which benefit RMHC and other children’s causes.

• In 2010, participating restaurants in the U.S. began making a contribution from the sale of each Happy Meal and Mighty Kids Meal. In 2011, RMHC Donation Boxes in the U.S. are projected to reach more than $27 million in customer contributions.

Looking toward 2012, McDonald’s will continue to advance goals and targets for mainstreaming sustainability in all five focus areas and reporting progress along the global journey.

“We will continue to mainstream sustainability into our day-to-day business, bring value to the communities we serve, and value to our company through efficiencies, innovations and consumer relevance,” said Bob Langert, McDonald’s global vice president of Sustainability.

About McDonald’s

McDonald’s is the world’s leading global foodservice retailer with more than 33,000 locations serving approximately 64 million customers in 119 countries each day. More than 80% of McDonald’s restaurants worldwide are owned and operated by independent local men and women. To learn more about the company, please visit www.aboutmcdonalds.com and follow us on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/mcdonaldscorp) and Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/mcdonaldscorp)

Restaurant chains like Chipotle Mexican Grill, McDonald’s and Starbucks are making efforts to go greener by sourcing natural ingredients and promoting recyclability. Such moves will increasingly have a greater impact going forward as regulations mandating sustainability are getting tougher. Moreover, these restaurants are likely to get future tax benefits as well.

While environmentally friendly by these restaurants are unlikely to save on costs in the near term, they could pay off longer term as the input costs have soared for many restaurants. More importantly, an improved image in the eyes of the customers could be the ultimate pay off.

Continue reading . . .

At a time when consumers are increasingly interested in local food movements, where their food comes from and what’s in it, McDonald’s is highlighting some of its growers.

On Jan. 2, the world’s largest restaurant chain by sales will launch a campaign featuring four of its U.S. beef and produce suppliers.

“We thought putting a face on the quality of the food story would be a unique way to approach this,” said U.S. Chief Marketing Officer Neil Golden. “We acknowledge that there are questions about where our food comes from. I believe we’ve got an opportunity to accentuate that part of our story.”

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McDonald’s Celebrates 16 Employees in Global Singing Competition; Awards Finalist Opportunity to Win $25,000, Appear in a McDonald’s Commercial and Produce a Record Demo

McDonald's Restaurant Employees Compete for Prestigious "Voice of McDonald's" Title

Oak Brook, IL  (Restaurantnews.com)  McDonald’s announced today 16 talented restaurant employees from: Australia, Philippines, New Zealand, Germany, Sweden, Russia, Switzerland, Brazil, Argentina, Puerto Rico, Canada and the United States are semi-finalists in the Voice of McDonald’s global singing competition. The semi-finalists are one step closer to becoming the next Voice of McDonald’s champion as they descend on Orlando, Fla., U.S., in April for the experience of a lifetime complete with professional vocal and performance coaching. They’ll also receive advice on launching a music career from industry-leading professionals. Past judges have included: Lady GaGa’s manager Troy Carter, Grammy award-winning singer/songwriter Richard Marx, Grammy award-winning producer Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins, R&B singer/songwriter Ne-Yo, Grammy award-winning R&B singer Estelle, prominent entertainment attorney and brand marketing strategist Ken Hertz and salsa singer Tito Nieves.

“Watching these talented employees reach for their dreams has been a tremendous source of inspiration and pride for our brand,” said Rich Floersch, executive vice president and chief human resources officer, McDonald’s Corporation. “McDonald’s has always been proud of the opportunities we offer our people and Voice of McDonald’s is a great way to inspire our restaurant employees by providing them with this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

The Voice of McDonald’s is a worldwide contest to discover, recognize and reward the most talented singers among McDonald’s 1.7 million restaurant employees. This fourth edition of the competition started with an initial field of more than 20,000 entries, included more than 70 country contests and 30 live performances before the popular singing competition called on consumers in five markets and top music industry professionals to narrow the field to 16 contestants.

The 16 global semi-finalists are:

APMEA (Asia-Pacific/Middle East & Africa):

• Chrislyn Hamilton – Brisbane, Australia
• Florence Rafols – Mankira, Philippines
• Zac Taylor – Whakatane, New Zealand
• Logan Walker – Auckland, New Zealand

EUROPE:

• Kajsa Hallin – Orby, Sweden
• Ksenia Kraynova – Ivanovo, Russia
• Gil Meidar – Luzern, Switzerland
• Dyscem Müldener – Munich, Germany

LATIN AMERICA:

• Giovanne Pereira – Belém, Brazil
• Pablo Rojas – Buenos Aires, Argentina
• Lyam Soto – Fajardo, Puerto Rico
• Will Torres – Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico

NORTH AMERICA:

• Israel Moore, Okemos, Michigan
• Maureen Recalde, Tehachapi, California
• Stephanie Savage, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
• Kendall Titiml, Wayne, Nebraska

About the Competition

• Monday, April 23: The contestants will begin their star-studded experience by receiving expertise on vocal coaching, stage presence, choreography, along with hair, makeup and wardrobe consultation. Later in the evening, the first round of the final competition will be held and the contestants will be narrowed down to four finalists — one from APMEA, Europe, Latin America and North America.
• Tuesday, April 24: These talented McDonald’s employees will have access to a panel of internationally-renowned vocal and music industry professionals who will offer advice about pursuing careers in the music industry.
• Thursday, April 26: The semi-finalists will compete in front of a live audience of nearly 15,000 McDonald’s owners/operators and suppliers attending McDonald’s 2012 Worldwide Convention.

Prizes

The Voice of McDonald’s grand prize winner will take home $25,000, record a voice-over in an upcoming DreamWorks^® Animation movie and work with a music-industry executive to produce a record demo. The second prize winner receives $17,500, third prize winner receives $15,000, fourth prize winner receives $12,500, and all other contestants will win $3,000. One finalist from each area of the world also will appear in a McDonald’s commercial. All finalists will receive $500 for a celebration party with co-workers at their restaurants and a $1,000 donation in their names for their local Ronald McDonald House Charities or other children’s charity.

To learn more about each of the Voice of McDonald’s finalists and watch their music videos, please visit http://www.voiceofmcdonalds.com. You also can join the dialogue by following the links to the Voice of McDonald’s pages on facebook, twitter, and flickr.

About Voice of McDonald’s

Voice of McDonald’s is the largest global singing competition of its kind, open to the 1.7 million McDonald’s restaurant employees around the world. More than 2,500 employees entered the inaugural competition, which kicked off in 2005. In 2007, more than 3,600 singers entered Voice of McDonald’s II; in 2009, more than 10,000 employees entered Voice of McDonald’s III; and in 2011 more than 20,000 employees entered Voice of McDonald’s IV.

About McDonald’s

McDonald’s is the world’s leading global foodservice retailer with more than 33,000 locations serving approximately 64 million customers in 119 countries each day. More than 80% of McDonald’s restaurants worldwide are owned and operated by independent local men and women. To learn more about the company, please visit www.aboutmcdonalds.com and follow us on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/mcdonaldscorp) and Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/mcdonaldscorp).

When Americans are too busy or lazy to cook, they often place an order with their favorite Chinese restaurant. So who do people in China call when they want food delivered? Increasingly, McDonald’s and KFC.

Delivery is becoming an important part of the growth strategy at McDonald’s Corp. and Yum Brands Inc.’s KFC chain in parts of the world where cities are too crowded and real estate costs too high to justify building drive-throughs.

In cities like Beijing, Seoul and Cairo, armies of motorbike delivery drivers outfitted in colorful uniforms and bearing food in specially designed boxes strapped to their backs make their way through bustling traffic to deliver Big Macs and buckets of chicken wings.

Continue reading . . .

McDonald’s has long been associated with its low prices and has made recent attempts to upgrade its restaurants to go a little more upscale to attract a bigger spender.

Among the improvements are Internet access and televisions beaming Mickey Dee’s programming. The thinking is that this will lead to better sales and could attract people to stick around and spend more.

The in-store TV channel, known as McTV, is part of $2.9 billion that the company aims to spend in 2012 as part of its capital expenditure.

Continue reading . . .

Restaurants Offer Special Holiday Treats and Menus for the Season

The holiday season brings joy and reunions with family members, but it can also be stressful. Trying to find time to cook dinner after a long day of gift shopping or eating well while picking up a Christmas tree or decorating the house becomes a big challenge for most people. Enjoy some limited time dishes by visiting one of the many national restaurant chains offering a special menu, beverage or treat to celebrate the holidays. Some restaurants are offering take-out options that are perfect for making your big party or dinner plans easier to carry out.

Chili’s Grill & Bar is getting in the spirit by offering their special HoliDaily promotion. The campaign includes discounts on many menu items and a daily free item including children’s meals, appetizers or desserts. To redeem these free offers, guests will need to visit the Chili’s website to download and print a coupon or become a fan of the company’s Facebook page. The convenient Email Club will deliver each week’s best deals directly to your email account if you sign up for it.

• Send us your restaurant’s holiday offerings!

The French-inspired Mimi’s Cafe is celebrating with Mimi’s For the Holidays, a program with carry-out options, giveaways and gift card deals. Each purchase of a $25 gift card at the chain will award the  buyer with a $5 gift card of their own. A complete Holiday Feast To Go is also available and comes with a whole turkey, cornbread stuffing, whipped sweet potatoes and other classic side dishes. The meal feeds six to eight people and costs only $79.99. Guests who prefer to cook their own bird can pick up individual side dishes to save time. Diners can also enter in the contest to win a trip to Paris or one of many valuable gift cards by entering in store or on the chain’s website.

Denny’s is serving up a whole new menu of holiday themed items for diners in a hurry. The classic Holiday Turkey Dinner plate comes with roasted turkey breast covered in giblet gravy, and surrounded with green beans, cornbread stuffing and mashed potatoes. The Holiday Turkey Melt combines these flavors in a grilled sandwich with toasted bread and a side of french fries. For diners with a sweet tooth, choose from the Christmas Cookie pancakes, Red Velvet pancake puppies and Milk and Cookies milkshake.

Boston Market has been making the holidays easier on busy families for over two decades, and this year will be no exception. With rising food costs, it is expected that a full holiday dinner made from scratch will cost over $12 per person. The complete meals offered by Boston Market come pre-cooked and ready to eat and cost under $6 per person. Items included in these meals include spiral cut ham, roasted turkey, pumpkin and apple pies, cornbread stuffing and beef brisket.

For shoppers who just need a warm drink to keep them going through a gift buying spree, there are a number of chains offering special holiday themed beverage options. The Tim Hortons coffee shop company is introducing a new Candy Cane White Hot Chocolate that combines the mint flavors of a candy cane with the sweet and creamy taste of white chocolate. Each cup is topped with whipped cream and special crushed candy cane sprinkles. McDonald’s is also expanding their hot drink selection as part of the McCafe brand. The Peppermint Mocha and Peppermint Hot Chocolate drinks will be available through the beginning of the new year. The Mocha includes a light peppermint flavor with dark chocolate syrup and whipped cream. Consumers in cities like Atlanta, Denver and San Francisco had a chance to sample the beverages for free throughout November.

Starbucks is making their red holiday cups interactive with a new mobile app that displays animations based on the characters found on the cup. They’re also bringing back all of their classic holiday drinks, including the Eggnog Latte, the Gingerbread Latte and the Peppermint Mocha. Some of the beverages that Dunkin’ Donuts is adding to the menu this year will become permanent additions. The Mint Hot Chocolate will be available year round now that it has debuted for the season, but the rest of the line up is available for a limited time only. These drinks include the Cinnamon Swirl Latte and Gingerbread iced coffee.

There are over a dozen other chains that won’t be releasing a whole menu of seasonally themed dishes, but will feature at least one special treat. The peppermint Pinkberry frozen yogurt comes topped with crushed peppermint bark, while TCBY is offering eggnog flavored frozen yogurt treats and Red Mango has the Cinnamon Apple Orchard flavor. Yogurt Mountain has four new frozen yogurt flavors that include Gingerbread Cookie and Candy Cane. Friendly’s has both Gingerbread ice cream and the classic Jubilee Roll. Joining the rest of the cheesecake flavors at the Cheesecake Factory is the Peppermint Bark Cheesecake, and Chick-fil-A brought out the pink Peppermint Chocolate Chip Milkshake as well.

The Krispy Kreme holiday donuts are topped with festive sprinkles over rich red velvet or chocolate cake. Hotcakes at IHOP have all the familiar peppermint and eggnog flavors of this time of the year, and Tim Hortons has brought out new donut flavors to match their drinks. Steak ‘n Shake has White Chocolate and Eggnog hand-blended milkshakes on their limited time menu, or visit the California Pizza Kitchen for Pumpkin Cheescake and try the Candy Cane Chill Blizzard Cake from Dairy Queen.

• Send us your restaurant’s holiday offerings!

Oakbrook, IL and Washington  (RestaurantNews.com)  McDonald’s USA and LivingSocial are teaming up to surprise and delight up to one million members this holiday season with the largest national fast food daily deal ever offered.

Starting tomorrow, LivingSocial members can purchase a $13 voucher booklet, redeemable for five individual Big Mac sandwiches and five individual Large French Fries.  Members will receive physical vouchers in the mail, which can then be redeemed at participating McDonald’s restaurants nationwide.  Members can also use the individual vouchers as stocking stuffers or gifts for others during the holidays.

“LivingSocial is the perfect partner with whom to offer our first daily deal and the largest-ever national fast food deal,” said Peter Sterling, Vice President, Marketing, McDonald’s USA.  “Both LivingSocial members and McDonald’s customers are looking for delicious food at a great value, and this deal hits the sweet spot for both personal purchases and holiday gifts.”

As part of the deal, McDonald’s will also promote LivingSocial in restaurants and drive-thrus.  To date, LivingSocial has offered three of the most successful national daily deals, each of which has sold at least 1 million vouchers.

“From Black Friday to Cyber Monday, Gift Box and Gift Wrap, LivingSocial has been the go-to place for great deals on holiday presents this year,” said Mitch Spolan, Senior Vice President at LivingSocial.  “Most of us carry fond memories of getting McDonald’s gift certificates during the holidays, and this year we’re providing a new daily deal twist on a classic gift.”

Only LivingSocial members are eligible to purchase a McDonald’s voucher. To join, users can go to livingsocial.com and sign up or download the iOS or Android app on their smartphones. Members can also use LivingSocial’s Me +3 program to get their deal for free. After purchasing a McDonald’s voucher, a unique URL is given to the member, and if three people buy the deal using that link, the referring member gets theirs for free.

About LivingSocial

LivingSocial helps people around the world find, share and enjoy great local deals and new experiences. We’ll help you get more out of your city. Through its daily deal e-mails and alerts, LivingSocial introduces members to handpicked local businesses, products or services each day at significant savings. With a range of products for different interests, like Families and Adventures, LivingSocial helps delight members with the perfect deal for them. Other services include LivingSocial Escapes, which features easy “vacations in a box” to leading destinations, and LivingSocial Instant, which helps members discover real-time discounts at nearby restaurants, stores and businesses. LivingSocial works with each merchant partner to create customized marketing solutions that attract and retain loyal, long-term customers. Based in Washington, D.C., LivingSocial now has more than 46 million members in 25 countries.

About McDonald’s

McDonald’s USA, LLC, is the leading foodservice provider in the United States serving a variety of wholesome foods made from quality ingredients to more than 26 million customers every day. Nearly 90 percent of McDonald’s 14,000 U.S. restaurants are independently owned and operated by local business men and women. Customers can now log online for free at any of the 11,500 participating Wi-Fi enabled McDonald’s U.S. restaurants. For more information, visit www.mcdonalds.com, or follow us on Twitter (@McDonalds) and Facebook (Facebook.com/McDonalds) for updates on our business, promotions and products.

Fast food and TV. For many people the two go together. Now, McDonald’s Corp. is hoping customers will park themselves in front of McTv, its new in-store TV channel.

The TV channel, which McDonald’s says is a multi-million dollar investment, is part of an effort to broaden its appeal beyond its core fast-food customers. It is meant to dovetail with the company’s efforts to add fancier menu items and specialty coffees. The chain is also spending about $400 million in 2012 on remodeling U.S. locations. The remodeled restaurants often feature wooden tables, more modern decorating schemes, padded booth seats and free wi-fi.

While the TV channel will generate advertising revenue from commercials, McDonald’s is hoping McTv will also encourage guests to eat inside, ordering seconds or desserts.

“We are seeking every opportunity to modernize, innovate and execute to keep our brand moving forward,” said Chief Executive Jim Skinner at an investor conference earlier this month. “We think of ourselves more in the informal eating-out space, if you will,” rather than only competing in the fast-food world.

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When in Beijing, Danielle Paris steps out for Peking duck at the Quanjude Roast Duck Restaurant. In Thailand, she loves mangosteen, a juicy, sweet-and-sour tropical fruit. In France, it’s a classic baguette with butter.

At McDonald’s, she favors the mango pineapple smoothie.

She also leads the group that developed it.

As director of menu innovation for McDonald’s USA, Paris and her team of food scientists have driven the Oak Brook-based burger chain’s beverage innovation in recent years, including its brewed coffee, iced coffee, espresso, Frappes and smoothies.

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The economy might still be in the tank in the United States, with consumer discretionary spending down, and the global economy may still be slumping along displaying tepid growth, if any, but as the old saying goes, “People still have to eat.”

With that in mind, many of the staples in the US restaurant business are taking their game overseas into markets still booming for new brands. Here are a few names that you might recognize, and some you might not, that are out to repeat domestic success in high-growth international markets:

McDonald’s (NYSE: MCD) may be the recognized leader of US restaurant brand growth overseas, with golden arches appearing in 119 countries around the globe with locations just about right on top of famous historic sites such as the Pantheon in Rome and The Great Pyramids in Egypt. In Europe, as well, McDonald’s has made such an inroads over the past couple of decades that the street corners in every major city – and many not so major – resemble those in the United States that are surrounded by the fast food restaurant chains of your choice; namely McDonald’s.

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A 17-year-old McDonald’s employee has been arrested on suspicion of using a credit-card skimming device to steal more than $15,000 from customers at the drive-thru at the downtown restaurant, authorities say. He used the money to buy high-end electronics and sell them on Craigslist, police say.

Merchandise worth between $15,000 and $20,000 was found in the local boy’s home, said Thurston County Deputy Prosecutor Wayne Graham at a probable cause hearing Thursday.

“This is not a small-scale operation by any stretch of the imagination,” he said.

Graham said 16 victims have been identified, but that there are more. “The victims will continue to mount,” he said.

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On Wednesday, Eva Ramos, 36, a former McDonald’s restaurant manager, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 32 months in federal prison for her role in an ID theft scheme.

Ramos pleaded guilty to selling the identities of U.S. citizens to illegal aliens employed in McDonald’s restaurants throughout the Savannah area.

In April, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents raided two McDonald’s restaurants in Savannah and arrested several illegal aliens. The operation was the result of a nine-month investigation.

According to ICE officials, the McDonald’s managers stole the identities of U.S. citizens, and sold them to their illegal alien employees.

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McDonald’s Corp. said Friday it has dropped a Minnesota-based egg supplier after an animal rights group released an undercover video of operations at the egg producer’s farms in three states.

The video by Mercy for Animals shows what the group calls animal cruelty at five Sparboe Farms facilities in Iowa, Minnesota and Colorado. Its images include a worker swinging a bird around by its feet, hens packed into cramped cages, male chicks being tossed into plastic bags to suffocate and workers cutting off the tips of chick’s beaks.

“The behavior on tape is disturbing and completely unacceptable. McDonald’s wants to assure our customers that we demand humane treatment of animals by our suppliers,” Bob Langert, McDonald’s vice president for sustainability, said in a statement.

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Cold fries are one thing.  Getting your credit card stolen at the drive-thru window – that’s a federal crime.

At least that’s what a McDonald’s employee in Oak Park is learning after getting charged today with stealing customers’ credit card information at the drive thru window.

According to a criminal complaint filed in federal court in Detroit, the employee – Teresa Pulliam – was seen on video surveillance using a hand-held skimming device while handling customers’ credit and debit cards at an Oak Park McDonald’s restaurant.

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Today, the corporation that is McDonald’s Restaurants is a global icon with over 32,000 stores in more than 100 countries throughout the world, including 14,000 in the U.S.

Everything has to start somewhere, however, and that start is usually as a seedling.

One local man was there almost from the start and, in fact, had a hand in some of the things we take for granted when we think of McDonald’s in 2011.

Take the chain’s television advertising, for example. McDonald’s ads on TV are as common today as the green grass around us. But it wasn’t always that way, as Nick Karos recounts.

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Shannon Stevens, of Chicago, is busy polishing off a hot fudge sundae at a downtown McDonald’s, the cap to a meal of McDouble cheeseburgers.

The 20-year-old is something of a regular, visiting the fast-food giant about twice a week, but the desserts aren’t the major draw.

“I like the chocolate sundaes and the shakes,” he said, but noting that McDonald’s needs to add more chocolate items if it wants to lure him from a traditional favorite like Dunkin’ Donuts or Dairy Queen when he’s craving something sweet.

Turns out, McDonald’s is thinking along similar lines.

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Blue Bell, PA  (RestaurantNews.com)  Unisys Corporation (NYSE: UIS) today announced that its Australian and New Zealand subsidiaries have signed agreements with McDonald’s to provide end-user IT support services to McDonald’s restaurants across Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific.

The five-year contracts have an estimated combined value of approximately US$30.5 million (AU$30 million) and represent new business for Unisys.

Under the terms of the contracts, Unisys will provide service desk, on-site and remote support services to McDonald’s chain of more than 1,000 company-owned and franchised restaurants across Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific region, including New Caledonia, Fiji, Tahiti, American Samoa and Samoa.

Unisys will provide its Smart On-Site Services for end-to-end support of technology used in the McDonald’s restaurants, including point of sale devices, back-office PC equipment, peripherals, wireless networks, customer order display units and cameras.

“The customer is at the heart of McDonald’s business, and reliable in-store technology is critical to providing a quality experience from the moment a customer places an order until the meal is delivered,” said Henry Shiner, McDonald’s CIO for the Australia, New Zealand and South Pacific region. “Our goal is to enable franchisees and restaurant managers to run their business so they can deliver the convenient, dependable and consistent service our customers expect whenever they walk into one of our restaurants.”

Providing 24/7 coverage, the central Unisys service desk will be located in Wellington, New Zealand, with business continuity failover based in Brisbane, Australia.

“We chose Unisys because we need a partner who can leverage a delivery capability to provide field service support across a widespread geographic region, with the systems and rigorous processes to enable consistent, visible performance against agreed and flexible service levels,” Mr Shiner said.

Unisys Smart On-Site Services are designed to provide consistent quality service for clients such as McDonald’s. Unisys tailors end-user IT support services to the specific client’s needs, using advanced automation and logistics tools so representatives can track service events more efficiently from start to finish. Predictive analysis enables Unisys to anticipate and resolve potential equipment problems before they lead to potentially costly downtime.

“McDonald’s restaurants rely on IT in their business, and we understand how important it is for restaurant managers to access support regardless of location and easily track the status of service calls,” said Andrew Barkla, vice president and general manager, Unisys Asia Pacific and Japan. “We look forward to providing end-user IT support services that help McDonald’s owners and managers run their restaurants more efficiently and give patrons a superior customer experience.”

About McDonald’s

McDonald’s is the world’s leading global foodservice retailer with more than 33,000 locations serving approximately 64 million customers in more than 100 countries each day. More than 80% of McDonald’s restaurants worldwide are owned and operated by independent local men and women.

About Unisys

Unisys is a worldwide information technology company. We provide a portfolio of IT services, software, and technology that solves critical problems for clients. We specialize in helping clients secure their operations, increase the efficiency and utilization of their data centers, enhance support to their end users and constituents, and modernize their enterprise applications. To provide these services and solutions, we bring together offerings and capabilities in outsourcing services, systems integration and consulting services, infrastructure services, maintenance services, and high-end server technology. With approximately 23,000 employees, Unisys serves commercial organizations and government agencies throughout the world. For more information, visit www.unisys.com.

Forward Looking Statements

Any statements contained in this release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All forward-looking statements rely on assumptions and are subject to various risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations. In particular, statements in this release regarding the estimated value of the contracts are based upon the assumption that the total number of company-owned and franchised McDonald’s restaurants using the service in the territory covered by the contracts will be consistent with current levels, and that the contracts will continue in effect for their full term. Because the total number of stores can change, and because the contracts are terminable by McDonald’s before the end of their term, the estimated value of the engagement is not guaranteed. Additional discussion of factors that could affect Unisys’ future results is contained in periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Unisys is a registered trademark of Unisys Corporation. All other brands and products referenced herein are acknowledged to be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

Restaurant News Bites: McDonald's, UFood Grill, Baskin-Robbins

McDonald’s is expanding the offerings at their McCafe in-store coffee shops for the holidays. The new Peppermint Hot Chocolate and Peppermint Mocha both match the refreshing taste of mint with rich coffee or chocolate flavors. This will be the brand’s first holiday themed McCafe menu items and will become unavailable on January 2^nd.

The Canadian branch of the McDonald’s is expanding their beverage options with the introduction of the McCafe concept to stores in the country. McCafe beverages began in US stores, but are now being introduced to international locations where coffee is popular. Prior to adding McCafe drinks the Canadian restaurants doubled sales of regular brew coffee.

The UFood Restaurant Group, operator of the UFood Grill chain, is slashing sodium content. The chain is working on dropping the sodium content of all breaded chicken products by 20% or more. Affected items will include the Chicken Parmigiana Wrap, the Oven Crisped Chicken Fingers meal for kids and the Crispy Chicken Chopped Cobb Salad.

The seven locations that make up most of the Cadillac Ranch All American Bar & Grill brand are being purchased by Granite City Food & Brewery. The restaurants are mainly located around the Midwest in Minnesota and other areas. The chain cost about $9 billion and the Granite City company has the option to purchase an additional eighth restaurant.

Odus Mundy owns and operates three Fazoli’s franchise restaurants and he was honored by the company recently as the 2011 Franchisee of the Year. He received his reward at the annual National Brand Conference  held last month. His quick implementation of the new store design helped earn him the recognition.

Baskin-Robbins has developed a new chocolate based ice cream that is perfect for the holidays. Winter Chocolate Marshmallow combines the flavors of rich hot chocolate, a fluffy whipped cream ribbon and chunks of chewy marshmellow flavored dough. Customers will only be able to enjoy this flavor until the end of December.

Robert Earl’s new concept restaurant, Earl’s Court, has opened in Manhattan. The location is a food court containing 9 different brands. Restaurants found within include Sushi Express, Billy’s Bakery, Italy’s Favorite Coffee and The Original Soupman. Despite being modeled after a food court the establishment is upscale and elegant.

Kennesaw, Georgia saw the opening of its first Dickey’s Barbecue Pit restaurant on November 5^th. This is the sixth location for the chain in the Southern state. New franchisee Kent Latham chose Dickey’s due to the rising popularity of Texas-style barbeque in the area.

Eat’n Park kicked off their 2011 Caring For the Kids Campaign recently to sell raffle tickets for a 2012 Ford Focus. The proceeds of the raffle will be donated to the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. This will be the restaurant’s 33^rd celebration and fundraiser. The Ford Focus was donated by a local dealer and tickets cost $2.

McDonald's Positioned for Continued Growth Under the Plan to Win

During the Company’s investor meeting today, McDonald’s Corporation Chief Executive Officer Jim Skinner and members of senior management reiterated the Company’s commitment to its strategic plan – the Plan to Win – and outlined opportunities and investments to further modernize the Brand, enhance customer relevance and sustain the Company’s performance for the future.

Jim Skinner said, “Over the past nine years the Plan to Win has been the right blueprint for McDonald’s and remains relevant today.  It has enabled us to perform well in both robust and challenging economic environments.  Most importantly, the Plan is supported by our unparalleled competitive advantages in size and scale, our financial strength and our System alignment.”

McDonald’s reaffirmed its constant currency growth targets:

• Average annual sales growth of 3% to 5%
• Average annual operating income growth of 6% to 7%, and
• Return on incremental invested capital in the high teens

During the meeting, the Company highlighted the following for 2012:

• Capital expenditures of about $2.9 billion, providing for more than 1,300 new restaurant openings and over 2,400 reimages
• Commodity cost forecast reflecting an increase in the Company’s overall basket of goods of 4.5% to 5.5% in the U.S. and 2.5% to 3.5% in Europe
• G&A is expected to increase 7% in constant currencies driven by certain technology investments to accelerate future restaurant capabilities and the timing of the 2012 Olympics and Worldwide Owner/Operator convention. The Company expects the magnitude of the increase to be confined to 2012

Skinner continued, “McDonald’s long-term growth targets have served us well and remain intact going forward.  They are realistic and sustainable for a company of our size, particularly as we invest to widen our competitive advantages and stretch our Brand.”

Chief Operating Officer Don Thompson said, “We are intensifying our efforts behind three global priorities that represent our greatest opportunities under the Plan to Win – optimizing and evolving our menu, modernizing the customer experience and broadening accessibility to our Brand. I am confident in our strategies and the ability of our talented System to execute against these priorities as we drive toward our mission to become our customers’ favorite place and way to eat and drink.”

Chief Financial Officer Pete Bensen said, “We are operating from a position of strength and now is an opportune time to accelerate new store openings and reimaging to modernize our Brand.  We have the financial resources and discipline to invest wisely, and given our strong returns we are increasing our capital expenditures to about $2.9 billion for 2012.”

Bensen continued, “The first priority for our significant cash flow remains reinvesting in our business to be increasingly relevant to our customers.  After that, we expect to return all of our free cash flow to shareholders over the long term through a combination of dividends and share repurchases.  Through October 2011, we have returned $5.1 billion to shareholders and expect to finish the year at around $6 billion.”

Skinner concluded, “McDonald’s unwavering commitment to and outstanding execution of the Plan to Win has created significant brand differentiation and strong business momentum.  McDonald’s is well-positioned for sustained profitable growth and I am confident that the investments we are making today will yield long-term value for our shareholders in the future.”

McDonald's Canada Launches McCafe Brand

McDonald’s Canada is taking a major step today in its beverage growth strategy and building on its strong brewed coffee success with the national launch of the McCafé brand and the introduction of premium espresso-based beverages in the majority of its restaurants. The expansion of the McCafé brand and its product offering is part of the company’s goal to elevate its coffee portfolio and to become Canada’s favourite destination for great food and beverages.

“In just a few years, coffee has joined our iconic offerings like the Big Macand World Famous Fries as a strong driver of the McDonald’s business,” said John Betts, President and CEO of McDonald’s Canada. “We see an opportunity to continue expanding our beverage platform and efforts to gain a greater share of the very sizeable Canadian beverage market.”

In just two years, McDonald’s Canada has doubled its brewed coffee sales and is on track to serve Canadians approximately 200 million cups of its Premium Roast Coffee this year. With a strong coffee foundation, McDonald’s Canada recognized an opportunity to serve what it believes is an unmet need, for existing and new customers, in the rapidly growing Canadian specialty coffee segment. In addition to extending its McCafé product portfolio, the company’s recent restaurant re-imaging initiative gave McDonald’s Canada a unique opportunity to create a defined space for McCafé in-restaurant, creating a brand within a brand at the point-of-sale.

“The McCafé brand is a game changer for our business and the biggest initiative we’ve undertaken since we revolutionalized the way people eat breakfast on-the-go with the introduction of the Egg McMuffinover 30 years ago,” added Betts. “We believe McCafé will drive our beverage and food business to unparalleled heights and solidify McDonald’s as an indisputable leader in the Canadian quick-service restaurant arena.”

The McCafé authentic espresso-based beverage offering includes cappuccinos, lattes, Americanos, espressos and mochas. McCafé premium espresso-based coffee begins with 100 per cent Arabica beans, fresh ground in-restaurant for every cup and the choice of 2 per cent or skim milk. Beverages can be customized by adding extra espresso or flavour shots like caramel, vanilla or sugar-free vanilla syrup, as well as real whipped cream for those who like their beverage a little richer. McDonald’s Canada uses only 100 per cent premium Arabica beans and sophisticated Swiss-made equipment to ensure consistent and great tasting coffee every time. More McCafé product information is available at the company’s newly redesigned website: www.mcdonalds.ca.

“McCafé is an integral part of how McDonald’s Canada is transforming and elevating its brand and the customer experience,” added Betts. “Our goal is to fuel stronger customer connections and to be the place Canadians think of first when they’re hungry or thirsty.”

As of today, more than 870 McDonald’s restaurant locations coast-to-coast carry McCafé espresso-based beverages. The majority of the company’s remaining restaurants will introduce McCafé by the end of 2012.

The introduction of McCafé premium espresso-based beverages will be supported by one of McDonald’s Canada’s largest multi-channel advertising campaigns. As part of the campaign, an estimated 95 per cent of Canadian households, or roughly 12 million Canadians, will get a McCafé coupon mailer over the next week, including a free small McCafé specialty beverage and a buy one, get one free coupon offer, among several other coupons.

McDonald's Introduces New McCafe Drinks for the Holidays

McDonald’s USA introduces two delicious new beverages to its McCafe beverage line today – Peppermint Mocha and Peppermint Hot Chocolate. The cheerful drinks mark an exciting launch for McCafe, as the brand’s first specialty seasonal beverages. New McCafe Peppermint Mocha and Peppermint Hot Chocolate are in restaurants nationwide just in time for the holidays, available now through January 2, 2012, or until supplies last.

McCafe Peppermint Mocha is the perfect blend of smooth espresso, dark chocolate syrup with a hint of peppermint, and steamed milk, topped with whipped cream and chocolate drizzle. Customers can also get into the holiday spirit with a decadent McCafe Peppermint Hot Chocolate. Both beverages are customizable, and available with a choice of whole or nonfat milk, and with or without the whipped cream topping.

“Beverages now represent more than 20 percent of sales for McDonald’s USA, so it’s becoming increasingly important to add new and unique beverage options to the McDonald’s menu,” said Marta Fearon, McCafe Marketing Director, McDonald’s USA. “With the introduction of the decadent Peppermint Mocha and Peppermint Hot Chocolate, we are pleased to provide customers with a flavorful taste experience that is perfect for the holiday season.”

To celebrate the launch of McCafe Peppermint Mocha and Peppermint Hot Chocolate, McDonald’s is popping up in select locations across the country to surprise and delight consumers with samples of its new holiday beverages. Consumers in select major cities will be rewarded with a McCafe Coffee Break during the busy holiday season, by sampling McDonald’s newest McCafe beverages. Be on the lookout for the McCafe Coffee Break Tour in the following cities:

• San Francisco, CA (November 7)
• Denver, CO (November 11)
• Atlanta, GA (November 17)
• Chicago, IL (November 19)
• Boston, MA (November 23)
• Washington D.C. (November 25)

Details on sampling locations and timing in each city will be disclosed via Twitter handles @McCafeYourDay and @McDonalds.

McCafe Peppermint Mocha and McCafe Peppermint Hot Chocolate are available nationwide at participating McDonald’s in small (12 oz.), medium (16 oz.) and large (20 oz.) sizes.

Columbus, Ohio is the perfect place to test products like the McDonald’s McRib, and try out prototype Wendy’s and Panera Bread restaurants.

The city is located in the heart of the heartland after all, and companies believe its residents typify U.S. consumer behavior.

For decades, its demographics have mirrored national numbers, though since it’s the third-fastest growing metropolitan area in the Midwest, it’s now more diversified than the nation overall. Even so, Columbus has held onto the “ideal test market” title for decades, and many businesses still choose to test there.

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In today’s social media driven world, customer service is key to positive word-of-mouth, no matter the size of your chain or the scope of the complaint. If you doubt the seriousness of addressing customer complaints in a timely and serious manner, look no further than the ballooning battle cry of parents around the cleanliness and safety of McDonald’s playground equipment that has the company battling a hailstorm of negative publicity.

Yes, even a QSR giant like McDonald’s is not immune to missteps in today’s consumer-driven and social media savvy environment where customers around the world can ban together in a matter of minutes, all with the help of the Internet. The chain is proof that regardless of your clout as a business, how you handle customer complaints will determine whether the situation will be calmly resolved or potentially blowup in your face.

What’s now a social media nightmare for McDonald’s, began as a single, manageable customer complaint. Chandler, Ariz. resident Dr. Erin Carr-Jordan, a mother of four, a professor at Arizona State University and a McDonald’s customer, was dismayed to discover filthy playground equipment at a local McDonald’s back in April 2011. She alerted a manager, and returned four weeks later to find nothing had been cleaned.

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