Customisable Gourmet Burgers And Table Service

Media release
29 January 2015

McDonald’s invites customers to decide what they would like with that

FIRST RESTAURANT TO OFFER CUSTOMISABLE GOURMET BURGERS AND TABLE SERVICE

Kicking off a bold plan to transform the McDonald’s experience for New Zealanders over the next five years, the McDonald’s Balmoral restaurant this week opens as a purpose-built Customer Learning Lab. The restaurant will provide a glimpse into the future of McDonald’s in New Zealand, which includes being able to enjoy new gourmet burgers delivered straight to your table.

McDonald’s New Zealand becomes only the third country in the world to offer a new customisable gourmet burger menu called ‘Create Your Taste’. Using digital kiosks, customers can build their own burgers, choosing from 20 ingredients such as jalapenos, guacamole and grilled mushrooms. A bunless burger is also available.

For the first time, table service will be offered, allowing customers to sit down and enjoy a drink and free Wi-Fi while they wait for their creation to be made hot off the grill and brought to their table.

“The Balmoral restaurant will be a real insight into the future of McDonald’s,” says Patrick Wilson, managing director, McDonald’s New Zealand. “How the restaurant looks, how you order your food, how staff interact with customers, what you can order, and how it is made and presented – the whole customer experience takes a quantum shift at Balmoral.”

Through the ‘Our Food, Your Questions’ initiative, social media, extensive research and the My Macca’s Review app, McDonald’s is using customer insight and demand to guide decisions and new innovations like Create Your Taste.

Whether they want the iconic Big Mac and the fast convenience McDonald’s is famous for, or a gourmet burger in a more relaxed dining environment, customers will have more options than ever before.

“Just like we did launching McCafe fifteen years ago, and then offering barista-made coffee at Drive-Thru last year, McDonald’s is innovating again in line with the changing needs and expectations of our customers. We’ve carried out considerable consumer research during the last year, and the initiatives we’re rolling out match what our customers have asked us to do,” Mr Wilson said.

“We’re looking forward to hearing customer feedback about our new burger range and service offering. Our intention is to roll out Create Your Taste to selected restaurants nationally within the next twelve months,” concludes Mr Wilson.

ENDS

Notes to editor:

• Create Your Taste provides customers the opportunity to create their own burger to suit their taste. Using digital touch screen kiosks, customers can order one of three suggested gourmet burgers — a “Classic Cheeseburger”, “Homestyle” or “Chipotle”, or create their own burger using 20 ingredients.

• Customers can choose their bun, cheese, sauces, salad toppings and premium toppings such as bacon, egg, grilled pineapple and guacamole.

• Customers can also enjoy a sit down dining experience, with meals brought to their table and presented on a wooden board with a wire basket of fries.

• The base cost of the burgers are from $10.90 but the final cost will depend on what ingredients are chosen.

About McDonald’s New Zealand

New Zealand’s first McDonald’s restaurant opened in Porirua in 1976. Today there are 164 McDonald’s restaurants across New Zealand, 80 per cent of which are owned and operated by local business men and women. The organisation employs over 9,000 people in restaurants nationwide, and is one of New Zealand’s largest employers of youth. McDonald’s was awarded ‘retail employer of the year’ by Retailworld. In 2013 McDonald’s spent around $170 million with local suppliers, while New Zealand producers exported over $465 million of food to other McDonald’s markets. McDonald’s is the primary supporter of Ronald McDonald House Charities in New Zealand, which provides accommodation for the families of seriously ill children and other services including mobile dental care units. For more information visit www.mcdonalds.co.nz

Check out McDonald’s New Zealand on Facebook www.facebook.co.nz/mcdonaldsnz or Twitter @Maccasnz.

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