McDonald’s Prunes Its Menu To Speed Up Service

McDonald’s is trimming its menu in an effort to address customer complaints about slow service, according to an internal e-mail obtained by Bloomberg. The restaurant’s current menu has 145 items – 70 percent more than in 2007 – and many of the offerings are very labor intensive, putting a strain on staff and lengthening service times. So far the company has eliminated the Angus Burger, Fruit & Walnut salads and Chicken Selects. Others slated for possible elimination, according to the e-mail, are Caesar salads, the McSkillet Burrito, the Southern Style Biscuit and steak bagels. A recent survey of fast-food patrons found that menu variety ranked below food quality, cleanliness, value and service as important restaurant attributes.