McDonalds’ sales were declining over the past two years, and the fast food company had to think of something quick. According to a report from the Chicago Tribune, McDonalds made one simple change to their menu that led to a 6.1 percent leap in share prices over the past few months.
It seems like McDonalds could have made this switch long ago – one of the largest customer complaints is the early end of breakfast service. People love the company’s egg and sausage McMuffins, but late risers often miss out on the delicious sandwiches. Now, breakfast can be purchased in most franchises all day.
The plan to roll out all-day breakfast at locations across the nation was a key piece of the company’s overall effort to turn performance around after a lackluster two years. They began testing the daylong breakfast at various locations across the United States in May, and were completely rolled out by the middle of October. McDonald’s set the record for the largest rollout of a new menu in fast food history.
According to CEO Steve Easterbrook, the company’s commitment to carrying out the initiative resulted in 14,000 restaurants nationwide gaining the ability to serve breakfast throughout the day. The company reported their third-quarter earnings earlier this week, posting huge gains over recent years.
Easterbrook started as the CEO of McDonalds in March, and his plan to turn the company around seems to be working so far. According to R.J. Hottovy, an analyst from Morningstar, McDonalds is also currently testing a number of other new menu items in limited capacity, which may be delayed or cancelled before being entirely rolled out across the country.
The transition to a 24-hour breakfast service setup wasn’t easy. Many franchises reported that the introduction of the new menu happened too quickly, which resulted in confusion and delayed orders. A recent survey of McDonald’s franchise owners carried out by Mark Kalinowski, an analyst with Nomura, showed that a number of owners thought the rollout of the new menu was rushed and disorganized.
Daniel J. Brown
Daniel J. Brown (Editor-in-Chief) is a recently retired data analyst who gets a kick out of reading and writing the news. He enjoys good music, great food, and sports, with a slant towards Southern college football, basketball and professional baseball.