McDonald’s is leaning on a pair of classics in its bid to win back consumers.
One of the classics is the McRib, which has made periodic appearances on the chain’s menu since the early 1980s.
The Chicago-based fast-food giant said on Thursday that the McRib is back again this year in 9,000 of its 14,000 U.S. locations for a limited time, for the first time in a year. Customers can find their nearest McDonald’s serving the sandwich with the company’s McDonald’s Finder app, McRib Season Edition.
“We know our fans love this limited-time classic,” McDonald’s chef Mike Haracz said in a statement. “That’s why we wanted to bring the McRib to as many fans as possible this year.”
The company is also introducing a new value option next month. The $6 Classic Meal Deal gives customers a choice of one of four entrees: Quarter Pounder with Cheese, Big Mac, 10-Piece Chicken McNuggets or Filet-O-Fish, in addition to fries, a soft drink and a pie.
The classic meals and the McRib follow the company’s announcement earlier this week of Triple Breakfast Stack sandwiches. The efforts come as the chain is working to get more customers in the door after traffic declined all year long, including in the third quarter—despite a 2.4% increase in same-store sales.
“The environment is competitive around value,” CEO Steve Easterbrook said during the company’s earnings call on Tuesday.
“It’s a market share fight on traffic,” he added. “We don’t see many people out there in the sector growing traffic. It’s a scrap. It’s a market share fight.”
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