McDonalds Arches not so Golden Anymore by Gennady Barsky

McDonald's: Arches Not So Golden?

McDonald’s has long been a shining, happy brand. The place where food and fun meet. Where people come together and “mmm” meets “yay” … where parents can find some brief sanity, kids can have a blast, and college students can get a hot meal not made of noodles. But now, things are not quite as “golden” as they may appear under the Arches. A recent CNN report shed some darker light on the world of the McDonald’s franchisee.

Shrinking sales and dubious PR missteps have McDonald’s franchisees across the world worried.

For decades after they opened, McDonald’s remained the trendsetter. Even their completion followed their footprint in menu style and experience. But a growing number of competitors are

doing things differently. From quality of food to customer experience, “fast” no longer means a greasy bag of burgers and fries.

Even the truest of true believers among the beleaguered franchisees are growing restless. They have some legitimate concerns beyond the crowded – and evolving – market.

Some “casual fast” establishments are making a killing with menu options as tasty and “not so healthy” as the fare at McDonald’s. They are making waves with simplified menus and straightforward options. From all chicken contenders like Chick-Fil-A and PDQ to burger joints like Hardees and Five Guys, businesses are proving the system still works, as long as you keep it simple for customers.

Unfortunately, McDonald’s is developing a reputation for doing just the opposite. In a naked attempt to Please Everyone, McD’s corporate seems to relish an overloaded and overly complex menu. It’s chock full of options most people don’t even want … but options made from ingredients franchisees must stock anyway. When speed is your number one selling point, having to train line cooks and preppers to make items they rarely make takes time you don’t have. That is frustrating to managers, employees and, most of all, customers.

McDonald’s countered with a laser focus on the Dollar Menu, which, instead of bringing people in, convinced current and potential customers that all McDonald’s food was cheap and low quality. Not a word had to be said, but people who didn’t want to order off the Dollar Menu tried out the competition. Many never came back.

As amazing as it may sound, McDonald’s cannot afford another PR misstep. People want what they want, even if they won’t admit it. Simple, tasty comfort food at a reasonable price. They have plenty of places to find what used to be ubiquitous to McDonald’s … and the franchisees hope corporate figures that out before they lose any more business.

Gennady Barsky is a real estate mogul from New York City.