McDonald's franchisees say all-day breakfast is a disaster

Daily Mail ^ | 10/15/15 | Regina Graham

[raccoonradio]

Since McDonald's launched an all-day breakfast menu last week, a number of their franchisees are not 'lovin' it' and say it has been a nightmare. Franchisees say that serving breakfast all-day has slowed down service, lowered average bills and sparked utter chaos in the restaurant giant's kitchens.

Twenty-nine operators overseeing 226 different locations in the US were surveyed by Mark Kalinowski, an analyst for the Japanese finance company Nomura. He found that since the new menu items were added last Tuesday, many of the franchisees were struggling.

'In small stores, the problems are vast with people falling over each other and equipment jammed in everywhere,' one franchisee wrote in response to Kalinowski's survey. Another said: 'Customers are abandoning us in droves because we are either too slow, or sub-par quality.'

Some restaurant owners also said the launch has forced them to hire more employees, which has increased costs.

[raccoonradio]

Wait till their labor costs absorb $15 per hour per employee. "I just saw an ad that said, 'Now you can have breakfast at McDonald's!' and I thought, now, there's a dream come true."--David Letterman, 1980s

[Buckeye Battle Cry]

Plus the lame-ass commercials for it that they shove down your throat during college and NFL football games #suck and are #annoying. They make me #change the channel and #eat elsewhere.

And don’t get me started on that damned Buick 24 test-drive commercial! I vow to NEVER step foot in a Buick dealership because I’m tired of seeing that commercial during EVERY commercial break!

[Red Badger]

McDonald's franchisees say all-day breakfast is a disaster

That depends on your customer's point of view.............

[Gen.Blather]

Apparently, whoever made the breakfast decision never worked in a restaurant. I will still stop there when traveling, but lately, if the lobby is crowded with customers waiting, I walk out the door and stop at the next one. I’ve learned that if it’s only five or so I’ll spend 10 minutes waiting. If it’s more there’s no way I want to be locked into staying for 25 minutes because I’ve already paid for the food.

The lost the fast formulae some time ago.

[Red Badger]

'In small stores, the problems are vast with people falling over each other and equipment jammed in everywhere,' one franchisee wrote in response to Kalinowski's survey. Another said: 'Customers are abandoning us in droves because we are either too slow, or sub-par quality.'

Odd, how IHOP and Denney's, et al can do it with NO PROBLEMS FROM SCRATCH.................

[TexasCajun]

Let me put to rest all your fears that hash-browns will not be part of your McDonald All-Say Breakfast.

Hash browns will be available at 90% of McDonald's restaurants as part of the all-day breakfast menu, which launched Tuesday, McDonald's spokeswoman Lisa McComb told Business Insider.

My dream, a Quarter-Pounder w/ Cheese, Golden Hash-Browns & Coke.

[odawg]

Since you bring up the subject, most all commercials are now so repulsive, and depraved, that I mute them out.

[RayChuang88]

This is why McDonald's needs to go to a much simpler menu to something like what In-N-Out does. After all, In-N-Out's menu is pretty simple (we forget only a very small number of customers use the so-called "secret menu") and they are very profitable on a per-store basis.

[NonValueAdded]

perfect post!

[posterchild]

Oddly that’s exactly the first image that came to my mind.

[ExNewsExSpook]

Likewise, chicken chains like Bojangle’s have served their breakfast menu all-day since Day One with no kitchen problems or extended wait times for customers. Just a matter of proper planning and execution.

McDonalds and Wal-Mart seem to be on the same trajectory right now. The grew at a phenomenal

pace for years, but became big and bloated and lost their way. Both companies still make a lot of money, but the days of strong, sustained sales growth are over. And (just personal opinion here), there sausage biscuits at Bojangle's are much better than Mickey D's.

[raccoonradio]

True but they aren’t really fast food but more of a sit down place. However they can still provide fairly quick service.
I go to different breakfast places and at least one of them (Maria’s in Salem MA), even when they’re crowded they get an omelette or pancackes out to you in a few short minutes (at the counter, etc.)

Weekends can have long waits at some breakfast places. But these are more of the sit down places (such as IHOP) rather than fast food-order-at-the-counter-or-drive through.

[raccoonradio]

Diners and some breakfast & lunch places can often offer breakfast “all day”. (And some stay open all night on weekends for those craving an omelette at 3 am) In some cases they’ll say “breakfast and lunch every day but Sunday where we do breakfast only”.

[AnotherUnixGeek]

Since McDonald's launched an all-day breakfast menu last week, a number of their franchisees are not 'lovin' it' and say it has been a nightmare. Franchisees say that serving breakfast all-day has slowed down service, lowered average bills and sparked utter chaos in the restaurant giant's kitchens.

Really? Jack-in-the-Box has managed it for years - with a bigger breakfast menu than McDonald's. The breakfast menu has most of everything I'd ever order at McDonald's these days. After work, if it's a choice between some Quarter Pounder that's been sitting under a heat lamp for two hours or a fresh Double-Double from In-N-Out, McDonald's makes it easy for me to give my money to In-N-Out.

I'd tell my franchisees to shut up and give the customers what they want instead of worrying about what's easiest for themselves - doing whatever's easiest is exactly why McDonald's is in trouble. People want the breakfast menu - it's easily the best thing about McDonald's.

[luvbach1]

How they do it: Denny’s has fairly reasonable prices and reasonably good food; IHOP has rip-off prices (way up in recent years) and reasonably good food.

[raccoonradio]

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/mcdonalds-franchisees-day-breakfast-nightmare-144346765.html

Basically same article but I note:

>>Others noted that the all-day breakfast menu is confusing to some customers because it varies regionally. In some states, McDonald’s is offering McMuffins on the all-day menu, while in others, only biscuit sandwiches are available...In an email to franchisees, McDonald’s US President Mike Andres called the all-day breakfast launch a success.

[jimfree]

I want to be able to buy a burger and fries at 9:30 a.m.

[notdownwidems]

Since you bring up the subject, most all commercials are now so repulsive, and depraved, that I mute them out.

Now? They have ALWAYS been that way; in fact this is one of my major pet peeves and why I love the TV mute button; any 'advertising executive' or 'marketing consultant' who believes that I or people like me buy ANYTHING based on a tasteless commercial should have their head examined! In fact, for me and, I suspect, many others like me, it works the other way around...I avoid like the plague whenever possible products and services where the electronic advertising offends me. Freepers, how widespread is this? Is it only conservatives who do this? Is there any research on this? Thanks for your help!

[lacrew]

I mute too, because the commercials are so loud. Seems they hit a point of diminishing returns, when they’re so loud they just get muted.

[raccoonradio]

Yup IHOP prices have been going up (omelette with three buttermilk pancakes, coffee etc)

When traveling I have gone to (none of these are in my area, Boston):

Bob Evans—not too bad

Waffle House—OK but can seem slightly overpriced

Eat n Park—OH, WV, PA, breakfast buffet