The new McDonald's "look" has a contemporary elegance worlds removed from fast food decor.
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Pressured by rising costs, limited opportunities for expansion, and declines in consumer spending, restaurants are turning to innovation in order to survive.
Arguably the world's most successful restaurant company,McDonald's Corp. has recently started rolling out a major re-imagining initiative.
Designed to complement the chain's menu forays into gourmet coffees and specialty beverages, the new McDonald's "look" has a sleek, contemporary elegance that's worlds removed from the fast food restaurant decor of the20th century.
The remodeling program, which includes flexible seating, a double drive thru, and more media services for customers, will be available in 800 locations nationwide by the end of the year.
Burger King, the no. 2 burger chain, is also looking to revitalize its business. In addition to developing new menu items, it's begun to test home delivery. Pilot programs at sixteen restaurants in Maryland and Virginia offers telephone and on-line ordering, with a $2 delivery charges and a minimum order of anywhere from $8 to $10.
Yum Brands, Inc., whose Taco Bell brand once dominated the restaurant industry's limited service Tex-Mex segment, is reworking that concept's offerings.
Faced with increasingly sophisticated competitors like Chipotle Mexican Grill, Taco Bell is partnering with several well-known Latino chefs to develop new menu items that can serve as a platform to launch a turn-around.
It's not just the fast food industry that's upping the ante, either. Earlier this month, with much fanfare, Walgreen's, the big-box drugstore chain, opened a new location in Chicago's downtown Loop. This new Walgreen's features a fresh bakery, coffee and juice bars, frozen yogurt, and sushi prepared fresh.
Walgreen's is testing this "European market" concept as a way of differentiating itself from competitors like CVS and Rite-Aid as well as tapping into away-from-home food spending.
