OAK BROOK, Ill. (AP) — McDonald's Corp. plans to introduce a new smoothie flavor, mango pineapple, nationwide on Monday.
The move is part of McDonald's efforts to remake itself as a hip, healthy place to eat, aiming to draw in customers who might otherwise go to Starbucks. The world's largest burger chain first introduced smoothies last summer, offering strawberry banana and wild berry. It has also rolled out oatmeal, free wireless access and fancy coffee drinks. The fast-food chain has fared well throughout the recession and its aftermath as customers flocked there for low-cost food, and the chain wants to make sure that it keeps its new clientele as the economy improves.
Beverages are growing as a proportion of McDonald's revenue and now account for about 25 percent, said Sofia Therios, McDonald's director of marketing for beverages. She declined to offer historical data or discuss the category's profit margins.
The smoothies do drive customers to stop in for snacks between meals, Therios said. That's important because analysts predict that snacks and breakfast will be the restaurant industry's only growth categories for the near future.
The move is part of McDonald's efforts to remake itself as a hip, healthy place to eat, aiming to draw in customers who might otherwise go to Starbucks. The world's largest burger chain first introduced smoothies last summer, offering strawberry banana and wild berry. It has also rolled out oatmeal, free wireless access and fancy coffee drinks. The fast-food chain has fared well throughout the recession and its aftermath as customers flocked there for low-cost food, and the chain wants to make sure that it keeps its new clientele as the economy improves.
Beverages are growing as a proportion of McDonald's revenue and now account for about 25 percent, said Sofia Therios, McDonald's director of marketing for beverages. She declined to offer historical data or discuss the category's profit margins.
The smoothies do drive customers to stop in for snacks between meals, Therios said. That's important because analysts predict that snacks and breakfast will be the restaurant industry's only growth categories for the near future.
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