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.

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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

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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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.

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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 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).

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.

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