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McDonald's UK specializes in preparing and selling several fast food items in the form of sandwiches made from beef, chicken, fish, eggs and sausage; chips; salads; soft drinks and shakes; and desserts.
The beef sandwiches, which are all typically marked up 350 percent are: basic hamburger (1/8 lb beef, catsup, pickle); cheeseburger (same as basic but with cheese added); Quarter Pounder (basic but with 1/4 pound of beef); Big Mac (2 beef patties, two buns, cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickle, and sauce.
The chicken dishes are a chicken sandwich, and a bit of processed stuff called Chicken McNuggets. Although there are some breakfast items available (sausage and eggs on biscuits), the breakfast menu has not been as profitable in the UK as it has in America and Japan (McDonald's, 1997).
As has been reported in numerous publications, the taste of all McDonald's' products is negligible, and hardly worth discussing. However, one doesn't go to a McDonald's for an upscale meal. One goes for sustenance, and sustenance in a hurry. At least that's what prompts some 2 million Brits a day to visit one of the McDonald's and have a go at their food. What do they eat? In 1996, they consumed BP 321 million worth of food and drink of which BP 186 million went for beef products. In 1996, British consumers also devoured BP 39.5 million worth of chicken and downed 52,000 tonnes of chips, 453 million buns, and 7 million gallons of milk (McDonald's, 1997). Who are these McDonald's patrons?
The McDonald's executives in London are quite specific about who their market is: "Anyone who likes good food value from a reputable company," is the answer (McDonald's, 1997). Finding more specifics is a bit more difficult. According to several managers and workers interviewed casually, the main portion of business comes from families, typically young, with the second segment coming from young single males, 18-24. According to several st...