For those of you who have yearned for a McGriddle sandwich only to realize that it's 10:35 a.m. and too late, there may be reason for hope. After years of insisting its system could not handle the additional load, McDonald's is testing an all-day breakfast menu at some of its locations in the San Diego area.
The fast food chain is conducting the test as it seeks to find answers to declining traffic and sales at its U.S. restaurants. Same-store sales at the chain's locations fell four percent in February.
Customers have long clamored for McDonald's to expand the hours of its breakfast offerings. Many prefer its morning menu to the burgers and chicken it sells for the rest of the day.
According to an Associated Press report, Janney Capital Markets released an analyst note about the all-day breakfast test. "Having those breakfast items available to sell all day would also serve as a reminder to customers (and the media and Wall Street) that McDonald's does indeed have craveable food to sell," wrote Janney analyst Mark Kalinowski.
One of the positives coming out of the test, according to industry experts, is it shows new CEO Steve Easterbrook is intent on testing concepts to get the chain's business back on track.
"I think he has a view that he can accomplish most anything," Larry Miller, founder of MillerPulse LLC, told The Wall Street Journal.
- McDonald's Reports Global Comparable Sales For February - McDonald's Corporation
- McDonald's gives all-day breakfast a test try - The Associated Press/USA Today
- McDonald's to Test Expanded Breakfast Hours - The Wall Street Journal (sub. required)
- McD's future includes antibiotic free chicken - RetailWire