McDonald’s hints menu changes amidst layoffs

The CEO said he doesn’t need ‘70 different permutations of a chicken sandwich.’

McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski is hinting at major menu changes as the fast-food giant temporarily closes its US office ahead of planned layoffs.

In a memo to workers, the fast-food giant said that it wants to“ensure the comfort and confidentiality of our people during the notification period” and would hold all notification meetings virtually. It told international corporate staff to follow the guidance in their particular regions.

“We have a clear opportunity ahead of us to get faster and more effective at solving problems for our customers and people and to globally scale our successful market innovations at speed,” the company said.

The CEO, meanwhile, hinted at possible changes in the menu with Kempczinski saying there has been too much duplication of a menu item like the chicken sandwich.

“We had across the globe 70 different, distinct versions of what a crispy chicken sandwich would look like,' Kempczinski wrote. 'I don't need 70 different permutations of a chicken sandwich.”

Some variations of McDonald’s chicken sandwich are the UAE's McArabia Chicken, consisting of grilled chicken and garlic sauce held together by Arabic bread and the McCrispy Honey Mustard in Spain that comes with crispy chicken, gouda cheese and Batavia lettuce, topped with mustard and honey sauce inside a potato bread bun. 

In the UK, McDonald’s has the Mayo Chicken which includes a crispy coated chicken with shredded lettuce and cool mayo in a soft bun.