ng for customers when the demand was recognized. The company changes its menu, and develops new product offerings in response to changing consumer demands. This flexibility, combined with enduring service strategies in essential areas, provides McDonald's with the capabilities required to maintain growth in the face of a maturing fast food segment in the restaurant industry. All McDonald's restaurants serve from a standardized menu. The heart of this menu is the hamburger line. The firm operates a research center, which, among other things, develops new menu items. These new menu items are then tested in selected markets. If consumer acceptance is strong, the items are then incorporated into the standardized menu for the entire chain.
...