Chipotle Mexican Grill, the country's favorite quick-service chain, posted its quarterly results on Tuesday, and as respectable as its revenue growth might appear, there are some unappetizing trends hiding at the bottom of its bowl.
McDonald's eked out a higher profit in the fourth quarter by luring diners with its value menu, but the world's biggest hamburger chain also warned that a key sales figure is expected to drop this month.
The McRib is back on the McDonald's menu, and the popular sandwich is returning to the Golden Arches at just the right time. October was a bad month for the fast food giant, and it needs all the pork-fueled help it can get to beef up sales.
Fast-food workers are joining the movement to unionize in protest over low pay. More than 200 workers at Burger King, Wendy's, McDonald's, and other fast-food restaurants recently went on strike in New York -- and organizers say it was just the start of a larger campaign.
McDonald's said Monday that a key sales figure rose in November, as U.S. customers snapped up the world's biggest hamburger chain's breakfast offerings and limited-time Cheddar Bacon Onion sandwiches. The increase follows a decline in October.
McDonald's franchisees have spoken. They're fine with the world's largest restaurant chain beefing up its Dollar Menu in an effort to reverse a recent sales decline. What they aren't cool with is breaking the buck with even lower-priced offerings.
McDonald's in October suffered its first monthly decline in comparable-store sales since 2003 -- and October is usually a good month for the burger giant. So what did Ronald do wrong? Too much focus on premium menu items, too little on what its customers really want: Low cost eats.
If getting free candy just for dressing up isn't a good enough deal for you, here are a few other Halloween deals that may strike your fancy.
The franchisor-franchisee relationship can be a tense one, especially when corporate asks the operators to spend more money. That's true even at a market leader like McDonald's, where remodeling investments, marketing campaigns and discounting are touchy subjects right now.
Wendy's pigtails are getting a tweak. The Dublin, Ohio-based fast food company is updating its logo in a move intended to signal its ongoing transformation into a higher-end hamburger chain.
If imitation is the sincerest form of culinary flattery, Burger King is praising McDonald's playbook: The Home of the Whopper just rolled out some new menu items last week, and once again, many of them will seem awfully familiar to Mickey D's customers.
McDonald's said a key sales figure climbed 3.7 percent in August, as the fast-food chain emphasized the value of its menu offerings amid the challenging global economy.
In the U.S., Wendy's popularity is based on such signature items as its fresh, square ground-beef patties and the Frosty. In Japan, where the fast food chain is looking to expand, it's taking a decidedly more upscale approach, with burger toppings such as lobster and caviar.
McDonald's new ad campaign highlighting its "Favorites Under 400 Calories" isn't just an attempt to highlight its healthier items during the Olympics; it's probably a preview of what's to come from restaurants around the country.
