“I can’t wait to see my customers’ faces when I tell them that there are no more potatoes for three weeks! “, releases this franchisee from the south of France, still surprised by the announcement made internally by its management. “It’s a flagship product for us, it’s as if the Big Mac disappeared,” he points out.
The information has not yet been released, it must be the subject of a communication campaign in the coming days. But from Tuesday, March 7, McDonald’s will withdraw from all its French restaurants the traditional French fries cut into quarters to replace them with… vegetable fries. An operation planned over three or four weeks, to test consumers’ appetite for this new, more “veggie” side dish.
The American fast-food brand is not at its first attempt. Experienced in product innovations, “it launches around ten new products a year, analyzes a specialist in the sector. She has already tested different potato recipes (“waffle”, “wavy fries”). But this is the first time that she has put vegetables on the menu”.
“New consumer needs”
For the national leader in the burger market, the stated objective is to meet “new consumer needs”, and the desire of consumers to “diversify their diet”. Another, more implicit, is also to play on the novelty effect to boost attendance in a context of increased competition between fast food players, while Quick has just announced a recovery plan supported by television spots highlighting Eric and Ramzy scene. Either way, this time-limited campaign required many months of preparation.
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“It’s a long-term job that we started in August 2021 to reserve the land of our 25 partner farmers. After sowing last March, the harvest was done in October, before their processing for the launch”, summarizes Éloi de la Celle, purchasing director of McDonald’s. The brand has joined forces for this with the leader in frozen products, McCain, responsible for the industrial development of the product.
No additional cost
In total, more than 3,000 tonnes of vegetables were grown in Hauts-de-France. Upstream, it was necessary to select the varieties. “We tested twelve to retain three. We needed vegetables that were quite hard but with a low water content, which were resistant to cutting,” says Éloi de la Celle. A study supplemented by several round trips between McCain’s agronomic department and McDonald’s R&D teams, “to ensure that the product remains tasty and attractive”.
Beets, carrots and parsnips will be served mixed in plastic cones (disposable packaging has been banned since January 1) in two sizes, medium or large, as an accompaniment to menus, “at no additional cost to the consumer”. “It’s the marriage of the three that is quite interesting, with the slightly sweet carrot that counterbalances the more marked side of the others”, boasts Éloi de la Celle. Will customers like it? The brand hopes to possibly repeat the experience. “It’s a bet, a bold choice,” laughs the franchisee.