McDonald's launches the Beyond Meat McPlant sandwich in the U.K. and Ireland

McDonald’s will begin selling a vegan burger, the McPlant burger, in the United Kingdom and Ireland this month.

The McPlant burger, developed with Beyond Meat, features a plant-based patty on a vegan sesame bun with vegan cheese, vegan sauce and other toppings. Both the patty and cheese are made with pea protein.

The McPlant will be cooked separately from other McDonald’s sandwiches with dedicated utensils. It will go on sale in 10 restaurants this month before being rolled out to 250 more later this fall. The McPlant will be sold in all McDonald's in the U.K. and Ireland in 2022.

The Chicago-based burger giant said Thursday that vegan burgers have appeared on menus in some of its regions before. But this is the first time a vegan burger __ accredited by the Vegetarian Society __ will be sold by McDonald’s in the U.K. and Ireland.

The company said it decided to make the McPlant vegan to meet customer expectations in the U.K. and Ireland. It has not said when the McPlant will go on sale in the U.S.

McDonald’s announced its partnership with El Segundo, California-based Beyond Meat in February. It has also tested the McPlant burger in Denmark, Sweden and Austria, but in all of those markets, McDonald’s used regular cheese and mayonnaise, so the sandwich wasn’t vegan.

USA : McDonald's to debut 'McPlant' in 2021

 (Reuters) - Burger chain McDonald's on Monday decided to debut a line of plant-based meat alternatives called "McPlant" in 2021, including a patty that Beyond Meat subsequently said it helped co-create.

"Beyond Meat and McDonald's co-created the plant-based patty which will be available as part of their McPlant platform," a Beyond Meat spokesperson said in an email.

A sign promoting McDonald's "PLT" burger with a Beyond Meat plant-based patty at one of 28 test restaurant locations in London, Ontario

 

 Beyond Meat was the front runner for a contract as it had conducted tests of a so-called "P.L.T." burger at nearly 100 McDonald's locations in Ontario, Canada, earlier this year.

"Plant-based products are an ongoing consumer trend. It's not a matter of if McDonald's will get into plant-based, it's a matter of when," McDonald's Chief Executive Officer Chris Kempczinski said on a call with analysts.

Analysts, rival fast food companies and plant-based protein producers have been closely watching McDonald's plans as it is one of the few national chains yet to sell plant-based meat burgers on a permanent basis.

While other chains have started offering plant-based meat options, including Restaurant Brands International Inc's (QSR.TO) Burger King, White Castle and Dunkin' Brands Group Inc (DNKN), a McDonald's contract could be the biggest and would put the plant-based meat movement front and center in mainstream America.

McDonald's said under its McPlant line, it could offer products including burgers, chicken substitutes and breakfast sandwiches, which it expects to test in some markets in 2021.

McDonald's restaurants in Europe

McDonald's expanded to Europe in 1971, opening in Zaandam, the Netherlands. There are currently over 6,000 McDonald’s franchise units operating across Europe in 38 countries..

In 2019, the European country in which McDonald’s operated and franchised the majority of its establishments was France (including Monaco). Germany accounted for the second largest number of McDonald’s restaurants in 2019 with 1,484 units.

Chicago : McDonald's at the company's new HQ

McDonald's is about to move into its new global headquarters and, as a first step, the burger giant tomorrow will open a sleek, next-generation restaurant on the West Loop building's ground floor. 

• This Fulton Market District McDonald's is open to the public.
• The new nine-story building will house the company's global corporate and U.S. headquarters, along with its Hamburger University training center.
• McDonald's signed a lease in June 2016 to move its headquarters to the former Harpo Studios site in the city's Fulton Market District from its longtime suburban perch in Oak Brook. The building was built by Sterling Bay, which bought Oprah Winfrey's former broadcast and production campus for $30.5 million in 2014. 

In addition to the modern design and technology upgrades that have trickled in to franchises over the past 18 months, this restaurant will have something else: international menu offerings not available anywhere else in the U.S.

Inside McDonald's new Fulton Market headquarters.

The menu, which will rotate every few months, will start off with loaded cheese and bacon fries from Australia, an Angus burger from Canada and a spicy chicken sandwich from Hong Kong, two salads from France and a "Prestigio McFlurry" from Brazil with strawberry sauce and chocolate-covered coconut bits. The entire McCafe coffee selection will come from Australia and be served by specially trained, full-time baristas.

A map of the world serves to remind customers that this McDonald's has international menu items. The menu will change every few months.

"We're weeks away from making this location the global headquarters for McDonald's, so it became clear we needed a unique, one-of-a-kind experience," said Robert Gibbs, the company's chief communications officer, at a press preview this morning. "Everything we've done to modernize the brand over the past several years is represented in the restaurant."

The approximately 6,000-square-foot restaurant features oak laminate-clad walls and small tables, plus longer communal steel tables with built-in laptop charging pads. The seating is a combination of leather and a proprietary leather-like material that McDonald's created for its modern stores. The building's original concrete pillars remain, and red-tinted glass at the entrance adds a pop of color to the mostly neutral space. One wall, etched with a map of the world, features small Golden Arches signs that move and illuminate when a country's menu item is available.

The company intends the location to serve as a showcase that other franchise owners from around the world can visit for inspiration as they begin the process of updating their own stores.

"It was really important to us to be aspirational yet attainable," said Juliana Strieff, the company's global creative design manager. The industrial-chic location, designed by Landini Associates in Sydney, is an example of one of 12 design prototypes that all U.S. restaurants will adopt by 2020. Previously, McDonald's franchisees used between 100 and 150 designers around the world, which made it tough to keep everything "on-brand."

Like other recently unveiled McDonald's, the restaurant on West Randolph Street will offer table service, self-service kiosks and mobile ordering. It doesn't have a drive-thru, but it does have two designated parking spots up at the front of the building on Randolph that will be dedicated to curbside pickup for mobile orders, and two others for Uber Eats drivers grabbing delivery orders.

The restaurant also includes an area with a long table and sliding glass doors that can be left open as regular seating or closed when reserved for private meetings. The space will be available free of charge to people in the community who want to hold meetings or brainstorming sessions.

McDonald's signed a lease in June 2016 to move its headquarters to the former Harpo Studios site in the city's Fulton Market District from its longtime suburban perch in Oak Brook. The new nine-story building will house the company's global corporate and U.S. headquarters, along with its Hamburger University training center.

The building was built by Sterling Bay, which bought Oprah Winfrey's former broadcast and production campus for $30.5 million in 2014. Sources say the company will start to take occupancy of the building at the end of this week. Gibbs, McDonald's communications chief, said the company will "move down in waves over the next few weeks."

McDonald's : Lębork

Jest to pierwsza restauracja McDonald’s w Polsce z wystrojem No Deco, czyli stonowanym i pozbawionym dodatkowych elementów dekoracji.

Kolorystyka wnętrza utrzymana jest w spokojnych biało-szaro-zielonych barwach. Całość wystroju dopełniają meble zaprojektowane przez francuskiego architekta wnętrz Patricka Norguet. Na sali jadalnej znajduje się 105 miejsc siedzących, w tym 16 w strefie McCafé. Kolejne 120 znajduje się na zewnętrznym ogródku.

USA: McDonald's touts 'frork' fry utensil to promote new burgers

NEW YORK (AP) -- McDonald's is touting a new french fry-centric utensil — the "frork" — as part of a campaign to promote its new line of burgers.

The chain says the utensil has an opening where people can insert some fries, which act as edible tines. McDonald's says it will give away 100,000 of them to people who buy the new burgers starting May 5. It's the latest push by McDonald's Corp. to drum up excitement and get people into its restaurants, after four years of declining customer transactions in the United States.

The stunt is intended to draw attention to the chain's new "Signature Crafted Recipes." McDonald's calls the utensil "edible, utilitarian and desperately innovative," but also "superfluous." It made a mock infomercial that it posted online.

McDonald's willl launch mobile ordering in 2017

In an effort to stem a flow of customers away from its restaurants, McDonald's today said it is launching mobile ordering, mobile pay and curbside pickup across its 14,000-plus U.S. restaurants in the fourth quarter, executives said this morning.

The burger chain, which said it lost some 500 million sales transactions since 2012—most to "near-in competitors"—said its biggest priority was improving foot traffic to its restaurants. In a special meeting with investors and analysts held today in a West Loop warehouse, CEO Steve Easterbrook said the Oak Brook-based fast-food giant is hoping its new digital efforts—along with overhauling its restaurants, improving the quality of its food and introducing new burger and chicken options—will help get lure more customers to its stores.

McDonald's is playing catch-up when it comes to mobile ordering. Competitors Dunkin' Donuts, Chipotle, Starbucks and Taco Bell already allow customers to place orders digitally.

The company also plans a bigger push into delivery, almost certainly with a third-party provider, which executives said requires no capital investment from McDonald's or its franchisees. It started testing delivery in January with UberEats in Florida and said it would expand into more markets this year, noting that some 75 percent of its customers in its largest markets live within 3 miles of its restaurants. Brady said the chain intends to expand and deploy delivery "rapidly."

"We're focusing on changes that have the biggest benefit to the most customers in the shortest period of time," Brady said. During its pilot in Florida, McDonald's said it found that much of the demand for delivery came during off-peak hours, which translates to an "incremental and profitable" opportunity.

In addition to its test with UberEats, McDonald's has worked with other third-party mobile app operators, such as Postmates and Foodpanda, to test delivery. In its presentation to investors, the chain also named other delivery services, such as Chicago-based GrubHub. Easterbrook said McDonald's is talking with several third-party delivery companies in several countries with the intent to partner with one or more of them on plans to roll out delivery in multiple "major" countries, including the U.S., this year.

"We're not testing, we're rolling it out," he said. "We're bringing major international countries online this year and expanding in the U.S."

In its presentation to investors earlier in the day, the chain named multiple delivery services, such as Chicago-based GrubHub. Though McDonald's didn't announce a partnership with the delivery company, GrubHub's stock surged as much as 3.4 percent, its biggest intraday gain in more than a month. Grubhub —which delivers for chains such as Subway, Panda Express, PF Chang, Fatburger, California Pizza Kitchen and Little Caesars — says it has been talking with McDonald's about a potential delivery partnership.

Though McDonald's didn't announce a partnership with the delivery company, GrubHub's stock surged as much as 3.4 percent, its biggest intraday gain in more than a month. Grubhub —which delivers for chains such as Subway, Panda Express, PF Chang, Fatburger, California Pizza Kitchen and Little Caesars — says it has been talking with McDonald's about a potential delivery partnership.

Also today, McDonald's said that by year-end, 2,500 restaurants will be transformed into its "Experience of the Future" format, with table service, self-serve ordering kiosks and an expanded McCafe menu. The company expects to have almost all its U.S. stores converted by the end of 2020.

McDonald's in the U.S., France and Canada that have converted to the to the new format have posted sales bumps of between 4 percent and 8 percent, the company said. In addition to offering new conveniences to diners, the company is hoping to lure back once-loyal customers with improvements to its food and a renewed focus on its McCafe coffee offerings. "Some of our best customers just aren't visiting as much as they used to and we know why,'' Brady said. "Our historical advantages of quality, convenience and value didn't keep pace."

For 2019 and beyond, McDonald's said it expects to expand its operating margin from the high-20 percent range to the mid-40 percent range, as it sells more of its restaurants to franchisees and relies more heavily on royalty fees.

By the end of this year, the company expects 93 percent of its restaurants to be franchised. That would be a year ahead of schedule.

McDonald’s : Włocławek

• ulica Kilińskiego 3, Włocławek (CH Wzorcownia)
• Jest to druga restauracja McDonald’s we Włocławku

Lokal znajduje się w budynku D i ma powierzchnię 599 mkw. Restaurację charakteryzuje ciekawy wystrój wnętrza i umeblowanie z dobrze dobranym stylowym oświetleniem. Całość utrzymana jest w naturalnych barwach: brązach, zieleni i bieli. W realizacji wykorzystane zostały materiały naturalne, kamień i drewno. Na sali jadalnej znajduje się 71 miejsc siedzących, w tym 25 w strefie McCafé. Restauracja wyposażona jest w klimatyzowaną salę.

Japan: McDonald's Giving Away 18-Karat Gold Chicken McNugget

The company devised a Twitter campaign that asks people to identify a "mysterious nugget thief." The first person to solve a series of clues will win a golden nugget worth roughly $1,500.

Kazakhstan : first McDonald's opens in Astana

• McDonald’s is partnering with prominent gas tycoon Kairat Boranbayev, whose daughter Alima is married to Nazarbayev’s grandson, Aysultan Nazarbayev.
• Sandwiches in Kazakhstan’s McDonald’s start from 400 tenge (US$1.16). The popular Big Mac burger costs 800 tenge (US$2.32), while Happy Meals cost 1,050 tenge (US$3.04).

Akim (Mayor) of Astana Adilbek Dzhaksybekov, Minister of Culture and Sport Arystanbek Muhamediuly, owner of the McDonald’s franchise in Kazakhstan Kairat Boranbayev and other high officials were at the opening. 

Astana's Mayor Adilbek Dzhaksybekov (C) holds a burguer as he poses with the staff during the opening of the first McDonald's restaurant in Kazakhstan, 8 March 2016.

First McDonald's Opens In Kazakhstan
Long lines for the first McDonald's in Kazakhstan...the first in Central Asia!
Posted by on Tuesday, March 8, 2016

The Kazakhstan launch comes as McDonald’s is under pressure in neighbouring Russia, where more than half of its 440 locations are under investigation over alleged health and safety violations, and nine outlets have been temporarily closed, in the ongoing stand-off between Moscow and the west over the Ukraine crisis. The company denies the allegations.

The sprawling country may have a population of just 17 million people, but its inhabitants have a voracious appetite for an oil-fuelled consumer lifestyle. Shopping malls have sprung up all over the country, and other western fast-food joints such as Burger King and KFC are already popular.

USA: McDonald's to test expanded all-day breakfast with McGriddle

The world's biggest burger chain plans to start offering an expanded all-day breakfast menu that includes McGriddle sandwiches in 72 restaurants in Tulsa, Oklahoma starting Feb. 1, 2016. 

The test comes after customers complained about the absence of the sandwich when McDonald's launched a limited all-day breakfast menu in October.

McDonald's expects the test to last for two to three months before deciding how to proceed.

The test come as McDonald's rides high from its biggest quarterly U.S. sales jump in nearly four years. The Oak Brook, Illinois company said this week that sales rose 5.7 percent in the last three months of year, boosted by all-day breakfast menu and unseasonably warm weather.

Now, McDonald's restaurants in Tulsa will try adding McGriddle sandwiches, as well as breakfast sandwiches made with biscuits. Currently, restaurants offer breakfast sandwiches made with either biscuits or English muffins, depending on regional preferences. About 80 percent offer "McMuffin" sandwiches, with some areas in the south offering biscuits.

The addition of McGriddles and biscuits in the afternoon could prove to be too much of a strain, especially at a time when McDonald's has said it's trying to simplify operations to improve order accuracy and speed.

The syrupy pancake buns for McGriddles and biscuits would need to be warmed up in ovens, which are also used to heat up apple pies, cookies and mozzarella sticks during lunch hours, said LeAnn Richards, a McDonald's franchisee who led a task force on all-day breakfast. McGriddles and biscuit sandwiches are also made with a frozen egg patty, instead of the cracked egg used in McMuffins.
That means franchisees — who already had to buy new equipment to offer all-day breakfast — would need to further juggle grill and oven space for an expanded menu.

McDonald's says franchisees in Kansas City also started offering a Sausage McGriddle last month in response to demand. But those restaurants aren't offering the sandwich with eggs, or biscuit sandwiches.

Despite McDonald's recent sales jump, it's still not clear exactly how all-day breakfast is benefiting the chain and whether the effects will last. The company did not say how much of the increase was from an uptick in customer visits, versus factors likes price hikes or people adding extras onto their orders.

Either way, McDonald's turnaround push is far from over. The company's U.S. customer visits fell 3 percent last year, following a 4.1 percent drop in 2014.

China: McDonald's Next opens in Hong Kong

McDonald's has just opened a 'concept store' in Hong Kong called McDonald's Next. According to Trend Hunter, Contemporist, and Hong Kong Navi, design firm Landini Associates joined forces with the fast food chain to create this McDonald’s in Hong Kong, located near Admiralty Station.

Features:

• electronic self order (throughout the store), 
• wired/wireless charging stations on all the tables, 
• and building your own salad and burger. 
• Menu includes salads along with Moroccan roast chicken breast, chipotle pulled pork, brown rice, pumpkin, lentil and eggplant salads and sandwiches.

The “food bar” styled restaurant opened to mark the 40th anniversary of McDonald’s in Hong Kong. McDonald’s Next is located in the shopping district of Admiralty in Hong Kong, and has a major emphasis on meal customization. Gone are the white countertops of McDonald’s and one-size fits all options.

Customers create customized burgers and salads using touch screens to select items from the “Create Your Taste” menu. Similar to a Chipotle-style assembly line, McDonald's Next workers create customers' meals behind a sheet of glass, according to Brand Channel.

The customized salad option allows customers to add ingredients like quinoa, grilled chicken and asparagus. The establishment offers free WiFi and encourages customers to share their creations with the hashtag #CreateYourTasteHK.

 

water fountain

charging station

Germany: McDonald's first-ever organic burger

In Germany, McDonald's has released its first organic hamburger - in response to popular demand, the company says.

The burger, which hit stores on October 1, is available only in Germany, and only for seven weeks. It features a 100 percent organic beef patty - in German, "bio" means organic, thus the name: McB.

The McB patty, right, is shaped differently so employees don't mix it up with non-organic patties

In order to be certified as "organic" in Germany, beef must must be produced from cattle raised under specific conditions: The cows must have only eaten organically grown feed and grazed on pastures free of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides.

European Union organic standards include not just use of organic - and regionally sourced - feed. There is a whole range of considerations for livestock, including welfare of the animal, minimizing pollution from waste, and limited use of antibiotics.