McDonald's Plans to Perfect Its Menu In 2023—Here's What's In Store
Wondering what to expect from the Golden Arches in 2023? More innovative advertising campaigns, fresh takes on menu classics, and a whole lot of chicken. Oh, and did we mention the futuristic take-out-only location featuring a conveyor belt?
When it comes to fast food supremacy, McDonald's is undeniably king of the hill. The chain routinely blows its competitors out of the water in terms of profitability and revenue. For instance, in 2021 it reported over $23 billion in revenue. Meanwhile, Yum Brands!, the parent company of KFC, Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell, reported around $6.5 billion in revenue that same year.
Dominance like that doesn't happen overnight. McDonald's has been building its fast-food empire ever since Ray Croc bought the company in 1961 and took the brand global. Of course, now is hardly the time for Mickey D's to rest on its laurels; the restaurant juggernaut has big growth plans for 2023 in the form of its Accelerating the Arches 2.0 Strategic Plan.
ATA 2.0 is all about McDonald's three M-C-D Pillars: Maximizing marketing (brand awareness, affordability) committing to core products (burgers, chicken, coffee), and doubling down on the four Ds (delivery, drive-thru, digital, and development).
"As we begin 2023 from a position of strength, we cannot stand still. As Ray Kroc used to say, 'If you're not green and growing, you're ripe and rotting.' Fortunately, there remains so much growth potential within our 'M-C-D' pillars. "However, to realize the full potential of our strategy, we must also objectively assess areas we can do better," said president and chief executive officer Chris Kempczinski in a Jan. 6 memo sent to McDonald's employees all over the world.
The paragraphs above contain a whole lot of buzzwords, so what can Mickey D's customers expect to see in the year ahead, in simpler terms? McDonald's plans to focus even more heavily on innovative, outside-the-box marketing efforts, such as 2020's successful Famous Orders campaign. That ad showed viewers various meals ordered at McDonald's by celebrities like Kim Kardashian, Dracula, and Magic Johnson.
"We will continue leaning into that strategy and scale platforms across markets to find new ways to tap into the zeitgeist and have fun with our customers," McDonald's added in a press release.
Additionally, McDonald's will be laser-focused on improving its already legendary menu. It plans on outdoing itself with updates to classics like the Big Mac, Fries, and Chicken Nuggets this year. We can also expect to see more of what has recently been working for the company: celeb meal collaborations and more chicken items.
"We will also build on the success of new global favorites like the McCrispy Chicken Sandwich, while leaning into core icons like Chicken McNuggets. Chicken will continue to be a growth driver as we look to keep growing our global market share," the press release explained.
Moving on to the 'D' section of the 'M-C-D' pillars, McDonald's reports that across its top six markets digital accounts for more than one-third of systemwide sales. That estimate includes orders placed on digital kiosks, the McDonald's app, and McDelivery. In 2023, the brand plans to sculpt even more personalized and convenient experiences for customers ordering through digital channels. The McDonald's loyalty program has already expanded to over 50 markets, and there are over 25 million active digital Mickey D's customers in just the US alone.
As demand for digital and automated services continues to increase, McDonald's is also planning on prioritizing restaurant development in new and exciting ways. For example, a McDonald's restaurant in Fort Worth, Texas will soon open that only serves take-out and features an order ahead lane and food conveyor belt.
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