In an illustration of McDonald’s plan to be more agile, the chain is planning to replace its highly popular Dollar Menu within seven weeks with a new roster of every everyday bargains, the McPick 2. The offer will run for five weeks, after which the lineup of products may be adjusted.
The initial offering consists of a new product, mozzarella sticks with marina dipping sauce; a small order of French fries; a McDouble cheeseburger; and a McChicken chicken burger. Customers can pick any two of the items for a $2 meal. A soft drink is not included in the deal.
The rollout came to light a day reportedly on the same day the franchisor finished tabulating the go/no-go votes of franchisees.
McDonald’s has struggled to keep its value-hunting clientele while experimenting with higher-ticket, less-fast-food-y type items like a one-third burger and a fried-chicken sandwich. An initial attempt to trade up bargain lovers, the Dollar Menu and More, led to customer confusion. An Extra Value Menu similarly failed to garner traction.
Developing a replacement value menu has been a key priority of the chain. Typically an undertaking of that scale and significance takes several months or more. But McDonald’s has been moving faster in its product rollouts as part of an effort to respond more quickly to consumer needs. It started offering most breakfast items thoughout the day just five weeks after green lighting the initiative.
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