Bob, I give new management full credit for the salads. MCD has been tinkering with salad concepts for years. This isn't a radical departure, but they've finally gotten it just right. And the Newman's Own tie-in (which they obviously can take full responsibility for) was very smart marketing. McGriddle was obviously a more radical development that was done under a much longer cycle. However, even here I'd observe that MCD has attempted many new products over the years and their launches and executions, up till this year, had been uninspired at best.
Re the QSR survey, that is very much a cause for concern, but I wonder if it might be a lagging indicator. I don't go to McDonalds often because (ironically) I don't particularly care for their food. However, based on my very limited sample of a few local outlets over the past couple of months, there have been noticeable improvements. Employees are better groomed, they move faster, and operations as a whole seem to be sharper. Maybe it's just my imagination, or maybe it's just one local operator tightening up his operations (although even that could be considered a significant portent) but I get the feeling that this company is at long last returning to what it does best. |
