McDonald's Reveals Bold New Growth Strategy To Outpace Rivals

Fast food giant McDonald's is losing diners, and has even seen a significant sales drop in early 2025. With consumer sentiment is down, and fast food prices soaring, many consumers are staying away from their favorite fast food restaurants. However, McDonald's is not alone, with several other fast food chains, like Burger King, similarly facing trouble due to global uncertainty. In Q1 2025, the McDonald's Corporation reported a 3.6% dip in U.S. sales and 1% drop in global same-store sales — the company's worst sales decline since 2020. In a call with investors on May 1, 2025, McDonald's chief financial officer, Ian Borden said that people were visiting less and that the company had seen traffic from middle-income diners fall by double digits. 

On the same call, McDonald's CEO Chris Kempczinski elaborated that, "low and middle income consumers in particular are being weighed down by the cumulative impact of inflation, and heightened anxiety about the economic outlook." President Trump's tariffs have lead to uncertainty among businesses and consumers alike, with people adjusting monthly budgets and delaying purchases as their confidence in the economy drops.

With that said, McDonald's is already looking for ways to compensate for these lost sales. From global menu innovations across different countries to the introduction of the brand's new McValue campaign. Plus, the company has launched a new strategy that will specifically focus on its top three products– chicken, beef, and beverages/desserts. To ensure the success of these products, McDonald's has even put a new team in place.  

McDonald's CEO, Chris Kempczinski, shared specific details about the brand's new growth and marketing strategy in a company announcement. As the fast food company looks at ways to improve the efficiency of its operations, it will create specialized departments meant to reduce response times to consumer demands and changing market trends. Per the McDonald's statement, the company aims to set up dedicated category teams for beef, chicken, and beverages/desserts. These individual teams will ensure higher efficiency while also improving accountability.

McDonald's announced that would also be creating a new Restaurant Experience Team as part of its larger growth strategy. This team is intended to bring together different elements of the brand's operations, franchising, development, design, and even delivery teams to streamline operations. The first step to achieving this new strategy was to appoint a new Restaurant Experience Officer to head up the brand's new Restaurant Experience team. McDonald's named its International Operated Markets president, Jill McDonald, to the role as of May 1, 2025.

McDonald's is aiming to reposition itself as an industry leader through its newly dedicated teams, new leadership, and its refocus on best selling products. With that said, the fast food giant is also expanding its menu offerings by bringing back consumer favorites like the Chicken Big Mac, and cult-classic Snack Wraps sometime in 2025. The brand also recently introduced the new, and permanent, McCrispyStrips, 100% white meat chicken strips that come with a brand new creamy chili dip, to its menu. 

As McDonald's continues to compete with other fast food chains for who has the best value meal, the brand has expanded it's McValue offerings in an effort to become a more affordable option for consumers. The $5 Meal Deal allows customers to mix and match their favorite items at lower prices. However, the larger McValue menu also includes special offers like Buy One, Add One for $1, and even allows customers to pair McValue Menu items with the money-saving MyMcDonald's Rewards program for additional savings. In a May earnings call with investors, McDonald's CEO stated that the company would continue to offer its $5 Meal Deal for at least the rest of 2025.