Aussie take-away sales jump

Macca’s to triall a ‘balanced, wholesome’ meal approach

Hospitality Magazine draws attention to the effort Macca’s Australia is making to stop sliding sales. A new ‘My Dinner Now’ menu will be trialled for three months in 19 outlets in the Newcastle/Hunter region, with a view to it being rolled out nationally throughout McDonald’s 740 restaurants across Australia.

The meals with fresh vegetables and precooked meat will be prepared when a consumer places an order in the restaurant.
Macca’s research shows increased consumer spending in the busy dinner sector with take-away sales alone increasing by over 40% in the last five years, so this is a “bold response to changing consumer trends” and an attempt to capture more customers.

Raylee Joyce, McDonald’s NSW/ACT regional manager, said research indicated people wanted meals which could be eaten with a fork, in bite-sized pieces and had a full taste with fresh vegetables.
“The overriding concern [of the research participants] was that the meal was balanced and wholesome as opposed to the number of grams of fat the food contained,” Joyce said, “I really hope it succeeds. Lots of work has gone into this, but you never know until you take it to the retail environment.”

The menu on trial comprises of Lemongrass Chicken with Penne Pasta, Rendang Beef and Penne Pasta, Orange, Lime and Ginger Chicken with rice and Beef Bolognese Penne Pasta, and is the result of three years of national consumer testing and research.

The trial will be supported locally by a regional TV, radio and ‘point of sale’ campaign, which would be rolled out nationally should the new menu be implemented across all McDonald’s restaurants.

What does all this say about obese Aussies and will Macca’s in its marketing be HONEST about the nutritional value of the meals?