McDonald’s has decided to add new bakery items to its permanent menu for the first time in nearly a decade. The decision comes at a time when the breakfast war is at its peak heat during the pandemic. Customers of the fast food giant will add McCafé bakery lineup from October 28. The lineup will have three new options – a blueberry muffin, an apple fritter, and a cinnamon roll. These items will be available in all the restaurants in the United States all day across. Vice president of brand and menu strategy Linda VanGosen said that the company knows that customers need a break more than ever. “We are excited to offer them another reason to pay a visit to their favorite breakfast destination by giving them delicious flavors they crave,” VanGosen said.
The decision is important because the breakfast sales of McDonald’s saw a downfall through the coronavirus. This is because many consumers were doing work from home and others opted not to venture out in order to keep themselves safe from getting infected with the COVID-19. This disrupted the company’s usual commutes. According to NPD Group, major restaurant chains witnessed a fall of 18 per cent in morning meal transaction in the week that ended June 7 compared to the same period last year.
While the sales of lunch and dinner of McDonald’s bounced back much quicker, the breakfast sale saw a very low response. The company is therefore trying everything to get back its sales target of pre COVID-19 era. More importantly, the company’s most notable competitor is Wendy’s (WEN) has launched a breakfast menu option earlier this year. The option includes a mix of sweet and salty items such as Frosty-ccino and the Breakfast Baconator. Ever since, Wendy’s breakfast sale has seen an upward trend. Breakfast sales now account for 8 per cent of the company’s total sales. Not only Wendy’s but Taco Bell and its other rivals have also launched new breakfast menus.
