Mcdonalds new ordering system

[Alex L]

theplayingmantis said:

We?

do you work for mcd's or something?

I do indeed but have nothing to do with the operation of the restaurants but after the best part of twelve years with the company I know the business quite well. I'm not the only Head Office employee on PH and I know of at least one Franchisee who frequents the McDonald's threads.

Back to the topic of bacon and how it's cooked and why it's cooked the way it is....we simply struggle for space in the kitchens and adding extra kit for cooking bacon isn't viable. The bacon can't go in with the fries as they're suitable for vegetarians.

In terms of promotions and the lack of variety, we already offer quite a few menu options and I'm fairly sure the UK is still the most profitable McDonald's market in the world, so we're doing something right. We're trying to grow our restaurant estate by circa two hundred over the next three years too.

Yes, it generally takes longer for food to arrive but equally it's now cooked to order and generally hot - plus you can sit at a table and someone will bring it to you.

[Alex L]

craigjm said:

A lot of the specials around Europe are so much more imaginative too. The UK rolls out the big tasty that much it might as well be permanent. They need to bring back the likes of the M burger and the CBO

I wonder if the UK will ever get MyBurger where you can make your own burger from just about every ingredient in the kitchen then save it so yeah you can order over and over again.

The CBO was renamed the BCO as the Criminal Behaviour Order was also brought out at the same time...fun fact of the day.

I'm not sure about MyBurger, I seem to recall this has been a logistical nightmare in Australia so they're considering reverting to the standard menu.

Rather than multiquoting other posts (cos I don't know how) I'll try and respond as I remember the questions - the all day Big Breakfast won't come back, it was axed as we didn't sell enough of them.

[Luke.]

Alex L said:

The CBO was renamed the BCO as the Criminal Behaviour Order was also brought out at the same time...fun fact of the day.

I'm not sure about MyBurger, I seem to recall this has been a logistical nightmare in Australia so they're considering reverting to the standard menu.

Rather than multiquoting other posts (cos I don't know how) I'll try and respond as I remember the questions - the all day Big Breakfast won't come back, it was axed as we didn't sell enough of them.

Are the spicy nuggets coming out?

[theplayingmantis]

Alex L said:

craigjm said:

A lot of the specials around Europe are so much more imaginative too. The UK rolls out the big tasty that much it might as well be permanent. They need to bring back the likes of the M burger and the CBO

I wonder if the UK will ever get MyBurger where you can make your own burger from just about every ingredient in the kitchen then save it so yeah you can order over and over again.

The CBO was renamed the BCO as the Criminal Behaviour Order was also brought out at the same time...fun fact of the day.

I'm not sure about MyBurger, I seem to recall this has been a logistical nightmare in Australia so they're considering reverting to the standard menu.

Rather than multiquoting other posts (cos I don't know how) I'll try and respond as I remember the questions - the all day Big Breakfast won't come back, it was axed as we didn't sell enough of them.

ta!

all day any breakfast i meant, like mc muffins etc.

big breakfast went yonk ago.

[red_slr]

Will be interesting to see how it pans out business wise. I am sure Mcds is big enough that the egg heads have done their maths and it must have some <Jordan Belfort> serious upsides </JB>. Personally I think my spend has dropped by at least 50% in the last few months.

[Alex L]

Spicy nuggets - no idea, I've not seen anything about them and even if I had I probably shouldn't say.

All day breakfasts - not any time soon, we don't have the space to run the full menu all day. It's alright in the US where restaurants are massive but we don't have the same luxury here.

Red_Slr - We've experienced over 50 quarters of consecutive double digit growth in the UK so I think we're gonna be ok. Sorry to hear your spend has dropped, please can you up your game as my bonus is due soon..

[theplayingmantis]

Alex L said:

In terms of promotions and the lack of variety, we already offer quite a few menu options and I'm fairly sure the UK is still the most profitable McDonald's market in the world, so we're doing something right. We're trying to grow our restaurant estate by circa two hundred over the next three years too.

.

the menu options are all the same and rarely change, and when they do, its a lazy boring promotion, like adding bacon to a big mac.

i get that your profitable, but i suppose that's mostly because the UK is full of fat scum who don't know what a balanced diet is and dont like anything a bit different to what there used to, and your ubiquity over other fast food alternatives but surely occasionally you could offer similar stuff to your continental and American cousins once in a while for your LTO's something a bit different to the norm?

btw apprecite taking the time to respond on here.

[BrabusMog]

Alex L said:

Spicy nuggets - no idea, I've not seen anything about them and even if I had I probably shouldn't say.

All day breakfasts - not any time soon, we don't have the space to run the full menu all day. It's alright in the US where restaurants are massive but we don't have the same luxury here.

Red_Slr - We've experienced over 50 quarters of consecutive double digit growth in the UK so I think we're gonna be ok. Sorry to hear your spend has dropped, please can you up your game as my bonus is due soon..

I worked with an ex equipment manager for Macs and he said that all day breakfast couldn't happen due to not being able to cook pork and beef on the same grills? Which, as you rightly say, is a space headache.

[red_slr]

Well its Friday tomorrow so you are guaranteed £2.99 from me!

[theplayingmantis]

Luke. said:

Are the spicy nuggets coming out?

there on trial in certain locations its seems

[Alex L]

theplayingmantis said:

there on trial in certain locations its seems

Every day's a school day, I must have not read that internal email

[theplayingmantis]

Alex L said:

Every day's a school day, I must have not read that internal email

just read burgerlad on twitter instead!

[craigjm]

BrabusMog said:

I worked with an ex equipment manager for Macs and he said that all day breakfast couldn't happen due to not being able to cook pork and beef on the same grills? Which, as you rightly say, is a space headache.

Why not?

[InitialDave]

craigjm said:

Why not?

I assume it prevents it being kosher/halal, which would lose them a bigger market than they'd gain through all day breakfasts?

[Chris Jay]

DizzyN said:

Bring back the Chicken Premiere!!

This. It really was good.

[craigjm]

InitialDave said:

craigjm said:

Why not?

I assume it prevents it being kosher/halal, which would lose them a bigger market than they'd gain through all day breakfasts?

McDonald’s are not kosher because the kitchen has dairy products and meat together and the meat isn’t halal

[InitialDave]

craigjm said:

McDonald’s are not kosher because the kitchen has dairy products and meat together and the meat isn’t halal

Ok. In that case, I'm not sure why it'd be an issue.

[ashleyman]

Is there a reason McNuggets are so much more expensive than the burgers?

I often stop by the drive thru for a quick snack and mostly order off the saver menu, couple 99p burgers, small fries etc... but when I fancy nuggets they're at least £3 for 6, £3.50 for 9 or I think a fiver for 20. Chicken Selects are also at least £3 for 3 pieces and maybe £5 for 5 pieces? Cant remember.

Wish nuggets were cheaper.

[DoubleSix]

BrabusMog said:

I worked with an ex equipment manager for Macs and he said that all day breakfast couldn't happen due to not being able to cook pork and beef on the same grills? Which, as you rightly say, is a space headache.

I also read somewhere that this the reason the McRib isn’t making an appearance anytime soon.

Perhaps Alex can confirm?

[jsc15]

While Alex is kindly doing AAA (Ask Alex Anything), can I please cover off 4 McD's drinks related queries that bug me...

- Why does a chocolate milkshake always taste slightly of banana? If they come out the same nozzle that's surely an issue for some
- Can you please look at introducing iced flavoured coffees like in the US...they do a great caramel or hazelnut iced coffee and price is fair. Also thinking that the prep must be minimal and probably just use existing sundae syrup on top of coffee/ice?
- If there someway of a store knowing (& resolving) that postmix for e.g. Coke is running low/weak. I've had a couple from drive-thru's recently that I had to pour out and couldn't replace as was too far away
- Please please please bring back the hot Mocha....I cried real tears when it was withdrawn, and there's much more obscure high-prep stuff still on the menu (I will say it sometimes needed stirred/mixed a bit better)

Many thanks