McDonald’s plans to keep dozens of items off U.S. menus for the foreseeable future, after sparer operations implemented during the coronavirus pandemic led to improved service times and better margins. Salads, bagels and yogurt parfaits are among around 100 items that they removed from menus after the pandemic hit the U.S. to simplify store procedures and supply. The changes mean operators will have to stock fewer goods in their restaurants.
Many restaurant chains stripped down their menus during the pandemic in light of supply and labor constraints, reports The Wall Street Journal (June 19, 2020). Some, including Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, have reported improved operations as a result of the more limited menus, including faster service times and less waste.
McDonald’s executives said such changes had a bigger impact than they anticipated. Drive-through times fell by an average of 25 seconds during the pandemic, and customers reported in surveys that their food was better and their orders were more accurate. “Our menu strategy really has been focused as a result of Covid and the success we’ve had with a limited menu,” said McDonald’s CEO.
McDonald’s menu had ballooned in recent years as the company tried to attract new customers. That caused drive-through times to increase to levels that troubled executives, prompting the chain to test forms of automation and remove some more-complicated items. McDonald’s began offering breakfast all day in 2015, one of its biggest operational changes in years. The change improved sales in the U.S. for a time. It now allows owners to choose what breakfast items to serve all day to simplify their operations.
Classroom discussion questions:
- In Ch. 5 of your Heizer/Render/Munson text, we describe 5 ways to design more efficient service systems. Which approach(es) works best at McDonald’s?
- What are the advantages and disadvantages of the more limited menus?