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Non-Tech : McDonalds (MCD) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: sea_biscuit who wrote (94)	3/18/1998 8:22:00 PM
From: Investor2	Respond to of 288

Wednesday March 18, 1:11 pm Eastern Time McDonald's sets new system financing plan CHICAGO, March 18 (Reuters) - McDonald's Corp. said Wednesday it announced to its restaurant franchisees a financing plan to help pay for the implementation of a new kitchen production system unveiled this week. A spokeswoman for McDonald's said the company will make a match of 50 percent, up to $12,500 per store, to install the new system, called Made For You. She said the company believes that implementing the plan will cost an average of $25,000 per store. In addition, McDonald's will give its restaurant owner/operators an equipment buy-back guarantee. If the company makes a significant change in the operating system in the next five years, it will repurchase the equipment at the original cost, the spokeswoman said. ''This virtually eliminates all risk for the owner/operators,'' McDonald's spokeswoman Julie Cleary said. Oak Brook, Illinois-based McDonald's officially unveiled the system, which promises ''hotter, fresher, faster'' food, to its franchisees at its bi-annual franchisees' meeting this week in Orlando, Florida. With the new kitchen and counter system, sandwiches are made on a per-order basis instead of prepared ahead and stored in heated bins in anticipation of diners. More at: biz.yahoo.com Best wishes, I2

To: sea_biscuit who wrote (94)	3/19/1998 12:16:00 AM
From: m thompson	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 288

MORE GOOD NEWS(finally)!!! from WSJ 3-19-98 March 19, 1998 McDonald's Cheers Franchisees By Announcing Menu Changes By RICHARD GIBSON Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL ORLANDO, Fla. -- McDonald's Corp., acknowledging that its menu needs perking up, plans to improve the taste of several sandwiches and test what it calls "an indulgent bacon cheeseburger" soon. The fast-food giant also disclosed that it is working on a crispy chicken nuggets item intended to appeal more to adults, and that it will roll out a line of candied ice creams called McFlurry desserts. And, reversing a decision made under pressure from advocates of healthier fare several years ago, McDonald's plans to boost the fat content of its milkshakes. News of the changes came as the Oak Brook, Ill., company gave its world-wide franchisees a pep talk, following a year of disappointing sales, marketing miscues and domestic management turnover. The franchisees, who are attending McDonald's biennial convention, seemed cheered by word of menu revisions and the way food will be cooked, and gave U.S. Chairman Jack Greenberg a standing ovation. The likely menu changes appear in part to be a tacit admission of the failure of the highly touted "adult-oriented" Deluxe line, led by the Arch Deluxe hamburger introduced at the convention two years ago. Since then, the fish Deluxe sandwich has been replaced by an updated version of the popular Filet-o-Fish sandwich, and work is under way on the Deluxe chicken sandwich. Much of this year's convention exhibit space is given over to a prototype of a just-in-time cooking system the company is calling "Made for You." The 13,000-restaurant domestic system is supposed to convert to it over the next year or so. But it is expensive -- estimates from franchisees are that it could cost upward of $60,000 per store -- so McDonald's is seeking to sell franchisees on its merits. "We want to signal a big change here, and elevate McDonald's to the food leadership position by telling customers that our food has improved significantly when it comes to taste and the way we prepare it," Wendy Cook, director of menu management, said in a newspaper McDonald's distributes at the convention. Tests of the modified menu will begin this spring -- assuming that the Made-for-You system is accepted by franchisees and customers. What the paper calls "five delicious new surprises" include the McDonald's Big Xtra, advertised as the MBX in test markets, which features a 4.5-ounce beef patty that's 20% larger than Burger King's Whopper flagship. This summer, McDonald's will test its new bacon cheeseburger, which will be crowned with strips of extra-thick and crispy bacon. Also in the works: An improved grilled chicken sandwich featuring a roasted-chicken flavor. Copyright c 1998 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved.