Fans of the McDonald’s breakfast menu have long desired an extended window of availability for the chain’s menu items. Now, select 24-hour McDonald’s stores will modify their late night menu with the addition of an ‘After Midnight’ menu, offering both typical menu items and a select range of breakfasts.
McDonald’s CEO Don Thompson claimed that the company had long considered an expansion to its breakfast menu hours but feared that operating two menus at the same time could slow operations behind the counter. The company has automated large amounts of its food preparation, making efficiency a major priority.
Select locations throughout the United States will serve the menu from midnight to the early morning, offering diners the choice of breakfast items such as the famous McMuffin, as well as typical dinner menu items. The menu change is expected to be successful for McDonald’s, which has served breakfast for over thirty years.
McDonald’s runs one of the world’s most highly optimized kitchen operations, and the change in late night menu items is a major gamble for the company. If the menu fails to attract attention or results in inefficiencies, it could be an expensive loss for the well-known restaurant chain.
Over the last decade, McDonald’s has experimented with outsourcing its drive-thru menu system, using agents based in central call centres to take orders. The chain is known for its food production line – a concept that it pioneered before several other fast food chains applied its principles.
For night owls, the addition of breakfast menu meals is a welcome change. For many franchise owners, it could be a major success. For McDonald’s, it another risky move that, given the company’s history of trying new things, could be an immense success for the company.
