Common Sense
By JAMES B. STEWART
With all the recent excitement over Shake Shack — its share price more than doubled the day it went public last week — and Habit Burger, whose share price also more than doubled when it went public in November, you’d think America was entering a new golden age of the burger.
Then there’s McDonald’s, the mother of all burger chains and one of the most potent symbols of America around the globe. Even as Americans flock to so-called fast-casual burger chains, McDonald’s is struggling.
Its same-store sales in the United States have dropped for five consecutive quarters. Consumer Reports rated its burgers the worst of 21 chains’. Millennials, the demographic that reached adulthood in the 2000s and now have children, are avoiding it, in part because of its hard-to-shake reputation for unhealthy fat and calories and oversize sodas. A little over a week ago, it said it was replacing its chief executive , Don Thompson, with Steve Easterbrook, a company veteran.
–
These seem to be excellent and long-overdue steps. Still, Mr. Easterbrook, the new chief executive, clearly has his work cut out for him. McDonald’s hasn’t substantially improved the taste and quality of its food, changed its marketing message or done enough to change perceptions of the health issues.
“Changing only one or two things will not give them credibility or believability,” said Ravi Dhar, professor of management and marketing and director of the Center for Customer Insights at the Yale School of Management. “McDonald’s needs to rethink all the elements of the value chain that impact the overall customer experience.”
What would it take to get me back into a McDonald’s? I don’t think it would be that hard. I like the new décor and custom burger option. I don’t mind waiting a few minutes. I don’t eat much ground beef, so I’d like a turkey or salmon burger option, served with decent lettuce and tomatoes. And I agree with Mr. Zakarian: The fries and coffee are fine.
An earlier version of this column described Steve Easterbrook’s background incorrectly. While he is a company veteran, he did not lead a turnaround of its operations in Britain.
A version of this article appears in print on February 6, 2015, on page B1 of the New York edition with the headline: A Visit to McDonald’s, Celebrity Chef in Tow. Order Reprints| Today’s Paper|Subscribe
