McDonald's may consider changing recipes

Apr 1, 2003 | McDonald's Corp. is contemplating making changes to its sandwiches, including reformulating the hamburger buns and bringing back the Big Mac's original "special sauce" recipe, according to attendees at a company convention.

The tinkering with the buns is meant to make them toast more easily. More sugar would allow the buns to better caramelize when heated, attendees at Monday's convention said, recounting reports from top management.

Filet-O-Fish sandwiches will be steamed to melt their cheese and improve overall flavor, attendees said.

Top management also said the Oak Brook, Ill., company would reduce the number of restaurants slated for "reimaging," a process where restaurants are remodeled or rebuilt, attendees said.

Company spokesman William Whitman issued a statement Monday evening saying "it would be inappropriate to discuss the details of the proprietary and competitive" aspects of the meeting.

James Cantalupo, the company's chairman and chief executive, heads a team of senior executives who will present plans and priorities for revitalizing McDonald's business at a meeting with securities analysts and others next Monday in New York.

McDonald's has more than 30,000 restaurants in 120 countries. Around 30 percent of its locations are company-owned. The rest are operated by franchisees.

In January, McDonald's said it would close 719 restaurants after reporting its first ever quarterly loss in the fourth quarter of 2002.

Shares of McDonald's fell 41 cents, or 2.8 percent, to close at $14.05 Tuesday on the New York Stock Exchange.

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