Go Inside The Secret Test Kitchen Where McDonald's Invents New Menu Items
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Tucked away at the McDonald's C.O.B. — or Campus Office Building — is the test kitchen, where the fast food chain comes up with all sorts of products.</p>
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By <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/" target="_blank">Business Insider</a></p>
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The kitchens are up on the top floor on Big Mac Blvd. Yes, McDonald's names all the "streets" in its global headquarters office building.</p>
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Here's what Big Mac Blvd. looks like. Kitchens on the left, cubicles on the right.</p>
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Here we are — the test kitchen is called the Culinary Center.</p>
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It's a bit strange, actually — a McDonald's kitchen encased in glass that's more fitting for a conference room.</p>
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The kitchen has some appropriate reading.</p>
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By <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/" target="_blank">Business Insider</a></p>
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We met up with Chef Jessica Foust, a nutrition and culinary manager at the test kitchen.</p>
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By <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/" target="_blank">Business Insider</a></p>
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Judging by the setup, the kitchen was prepped to handle the McWraps and Fish McBites. The box o' fish is the McDonald's latest limited-time offering, hitting locations just in time for Lent.</p>
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It has all the gadgets that a regular McDonald's kitchen would have.</p>
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Like these handheld pumps.</p>
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And the usual cups and shakers.</p>
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There's even a little guide on how to get buns toasted perfectly.</p>
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So we ran through the whole process of making a McWrap — a product that McDonald's is counting on going forward.</p>
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The whole assembly line was set up — simple enough.</p>
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The finished product (well, after we'd taken a bite) — just like you'd see in restaurants.</p>
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We also got to try those Fish McBites, which weren't in stores yet.</p>
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The breading's different from a Filet-O-Fish and it's a totally different experience.</p>
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A lot of people shy away from fast food fish, but it wasn't too bad. We wouldn't go out of our way to order it, though McDonald's Filet-O-Fish lovers might.</p>
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What's Foust's favorite item that never made it into restaurants? A blueberry yogurt ice cream shake, she told us.</p>
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By <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/" target="_blank">Business Insider</a></p>
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That's not the only kitchen at the McDonald's HQ. There are plenty more running down the side of Big Mac Blvd.</p>
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By <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/" target="_blank">Business Insider</a></p>
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On the way to another one, we ran into Chef Dan Coudreaut, the executive chef at McDonald's.</p>
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Other chefs were at work too. This one was getting some bacon ready for some unknown project.</p>
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It was a bit of a mess in there, like a scientist's lab, with chefs busy at work with their food.</p>
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By <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/" target="_blank">Business Insider</a></p>
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There's also the Sensory Evaluation Center, which McDonald's uses to test the new stuff they're experimenting with in order to get the feedback to improve the products.</p>
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By <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/" target="_blank">Business Insider</a></p>
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It's a key part of product development. In the Difference Test, you evaluate everything from appearance and color to viscosity and flavor.</p>
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By <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/" target="_blank">Business Insider</a></p>
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The items come through a magic door. We tasted a set of mango pineapple smoothies and each of them were slightly different.</p>
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By <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/" target="_blank">Business Insider</a></p>
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<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/office-tour-mcdonalds-hq-2012-12">Step Inside The Building Where McDonald's Runs Its Global Empire ></a></p>
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