{"id":11613,"date":"2026-06-02T16:32:07","date_gmt":"2026-06-02T16:32:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=11613"},"modified":"2026-06-02T16:32:07","modified_gmt":"2026-06-02T16:32:07","slug":"mcdonalds-bets-on-fancier-chicken-airier-restaurants-to-keep-luring-diners","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=11613","title":{"rendered":"McDonald\u2019s bets on fancier chicken, airier restaurants to keep luring diners"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

By Daniela Sirtori, Bloomberg News<\/strong><\/p>\n

McDonald\u2019s Corp. is betting on everything from fancier chicken to new playgrounds as part of a campaign to make fast food feel less like fast food.<\/p>\n

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New menu items including hand-breaded wings and filets are in testing as part of a wide-ranging wager on higher-quality food. This, along with more engaging social media campaigns and upgrades to restaurants, should help McDonald\u2019s cement itself as more diners\u2019 first choice \u2014 not just for a quick meal on the go, but also for family outings and other occasions.<\/p>\n

McDonald\u2019s will still focus on value and speed, but customers are \u201creally demanding more for their money,\u201d Chief Executive Officer Chris Kempczinski said. They\u2019ve raised their expectations as competitors upgrade their menus and offer new options in fast-growing categories such as chicken, beef and beverages. This is raising the bar for McDonald\u2019s, especially as inflation quickens and consumer sentiment weakens.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s just that much more important to have an even better experience these days,\u201d Kempczinski said in an interview with Bloomberg News at the company\u2019s Chicago headquarters. McDonald\u2019s is unveiling its vision at a global convention this week for franchisees, with whom it\u2019ll work out the details. Independent operators run about 95% of McDonald\u2019s locations worldwide.<\/p>\n

McDonald\u2019s shares fell 1.1% on Monday in New York trading. The stock has declined about 10% this year, trailing the 11% gain in the S&P 500 Index.<\/p>\n

McDonald\u2019s U.S. sales have outpaced the fast-food industry\u2019s growth for four straight quarters, according to restaurant research firm Technomic, powered by attention-grabbing campaigns such as a Minecraft-themed meal and a value menu that has appealed to price-sensitive diners. It\u2019s looking to keep up that momentum.<\/p>\n

But there\u2019s a downside to McDonald\u2019s consistency and predictability. \u201cVery little tends to stand out about any one visit or order,\u201d said Robert Byrne, senior director at Technomic.<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

With franchisees asking how McDonald\u2019s can further differentiate itself, executives spent about six months plotting the answer: a strategy they\u2019re calling \u201cNext.\u201d A key step is improving the food lineup, including with tests of new chicken items to compete with chains such as Raising Cane\u2019s, whose menu revolves around chicken fingers. McDonald\u2019s is experimenting with hand-breaded chicken, including a new filet for its Deluxe McCrispy sandwich.<\/p>\n

New colorful iced drinks will compete with the likes of Dutch Bros Inc., a rising star in beverages. McDonald\u2019s is also tightening its coffee standards by, for example, reminding crew how quickly beans should be used once restaurant staff opens a bag. It\u2019s looking at offering non-dairy milks that have become standard across the industry. For now, only whole milk is available at McDonald\u2019s in the U.S. \u201cWe need to fix that,\u201d Kempczinski said.<\/p>\n

The other priority is improving consistency and attention to detail across its more than 45,000 restaurants around the world. McDonald\u2019s is reviewing its training for general managers and crew while giving them more opportunities to try food that\u2019s prepared exactly by the book, according to Tiffanie Boyd, the company\u2019s global chief people officer. Senior leadership is also taking the sessions.<\/p>\n

\u201cLeaving a hamburger on the grill for 30 extra seconds \u2014 it may not feel like much, but once you can taste that difference, people will be much more motivated to deliver according to our expectations,\u201d Boyd said.<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

Layout changes<\/h3>\n

Over the past decade or so, McDonald\u2019s has renovated its restaurants to make them sleeker and more modern. In the process, it has largely removed playful colors and mascots, sparking criticism that locations felt gray and generic. The company is now looking at \u201cinjecting some of the playfulness\u201d back while making layouts airier and more open, according to Jill McDonald, who took over as the company\u2019s chief restaurant experience officer last year.<\/p>\n

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Options include larger drive-thru windows that allow customers to see orders being made and refreshing the design of its playgrounds. Locations could also feature updated break rooms for staff, an updated layout for the McCaf\u00e9 beverage section of the restaurant to show orders being prepared and a more consistent design across the world, according to McDonald\u2019s.<\/p>\n

The company also needs to eke out more productivity from each location as franchisees face rising fuel, labor and food costs \u2014 or they may not have the bandwidth to invest in upgrading restaurants.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe inflation issues that they\u2019re facing are real. The geopolitical issues that they\u2019re facing are real,\u201d Kempczinski said. \u201cWe\u2019ve got to find ways to make our restaurants work better, work more efficiently.\u201d<\/p>\n

McDonald\u2019s sees automation as part of the solution. The company has been working with Google to develop AI-powered order-taking for its drive-thrus. The system is 90% accurate, Kempczinski said, declining to disclose the company\u2019s target.<\/p>\n

At the same time, the bar for hospitality is getting higher, according to Kempczinski, so McDonald\u2019s wants to ensure customers get friendly service on each visit. This could include, for example, coaching workers on always greeting diners.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think if we got to a world where you went to a McDonald\u2019s restaurant and you never had to talk to a person, that wouldn\u2019t be a good thing,\u201d Kempczinski said.<\/p>\n

McDonald\u2019s also wants to give customers more reasons to post online. That could include partnering with YouTubers with large followings to launch marketing campaigns, instead of waiting for the chain\u2019s launches to go viral, according to Kempczinski. McDonald\u2019s wants to replicate the success of promotions such as the Minecraft meal, which featured collectibles, in-restaurant decor and digital freebies for use within the video game.<\/p>\n

Of course, that means giving up some control about what shows up online, as Kempczinski learned after his tentative taste test of one of the chain\u2019s burgers went viral.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s always risk when you put your brand out for other people to create with and play with. The reality is it\u2019s happening with or without us,\u201d said Morgan Flatley, the company\u2019s global chief marketing officer. \u201cI think we need to lean into it because it\u2019s going to happen anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a92026 Bloomberg L.P. Visit bloomberg.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.<\/em><\/p>\n

Read more Trump administration proposes 25% tariffs on Brazil, citing \u2018unreasonable\u2019 trade practices<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

McDonald\u2019s aims for higher-quality food, better consistency, and playful restaurant redesigns to enhance the dining experience.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":11612,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[43,2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11613","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-based-on-facts-either-observed-and-verified-directly-by-the-reporter-or-reported-and-verified-from-knowledgeable-sources","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\nMcDonald\u2019s bets on fancier chicken, airier restaurants to keep luring diners - Silicon Valley Moving Post<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=11613\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"McDonald\u2019s bets on fancier chicken, airier restaurants to keep luring diners - 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