McDonald’s Is Going On A Diet

Last year McDonald’s vowed to offer fruit and salads as side options globally by 2020, but now, they’re taking their ‘diet’ to more extreme measures—by slimming down the menu.

McDonald’s plans to reduce the number of Extra Value Meals from 16 to 11 in 2015, in addition to a number of other changes in their attempts to trim the fat. But don’t freak out just yet! Favorites like the Big Mac aren’t going anywhere (at least, that I know of). Instead, variations of one item (such as having three different options for McWarps) will likely be cut down, eliminating the difficult decisions customers have picking between styles…and time wasted. Eight current menu items will also get the boot.

CEO Don Thompson says these changes, like trimming its menu, reviewing cooking methods and ridding certain ingredients that air a perception of ‘junk food,’ will strengthen the company as a whole and help retain customers, which recently, has been kind of a problem: in November, sales fell 4.6 percent at established locations.

According to Thompson, as the food landscape has changed towards a ‘healthier,’ (read: fresh and/or wholesome) outlook and brands like Chipotle have offered a menu that exemplifies the trend, McDonald’s has failed to follow suit. To keep up, McDonald’s will change up the way they prepare and deliver food, too.

While I’m all for healthier options, isn’t McDonald’s supposed to be kind of unhealthy? Isn’t that the point of fast food altogether? If prices for a Big Mac become comparable to an $8 Chipotle burrito, we’re all in trouble (mostly me, though). And while the giant arches corporate types swear they won’t get rid of Big Macs, who’s to stop them from eliminating the McFlurry?

Oh, now you’re worried.

I guess the only thing to do is wait. And eat as many McFlurry’s as you can before 2015.

Brand: McDonald’s
Source: blisstree