McDonald's To Franchisees: Open Christmas Day
By Chuck Sudo in Food on Dec 18, 2012 5:45PM
McDonald's is continuing to slake its insatiable hunger for profits by urging its franchises to stay open on Christmas Day. On second thought, McDonald's is being more like Ebenezer Scrooge here.
In a memo to franchisees last month, McDonald's USA Chief Operating Officer Jim Johannesen asked for restaurants to be open through the holidays. 6,000 more stores opened during Thanksgiving over last year, which was a driving force behind McDonald's sales increasing in November after an October decline. If even more franchises open for Christmas Day, billions and billions served could equal millions and millions more in sales.
This is a far cry from when it was unthinkable to find McDonald's open during the holidays, but that's what happens when you have some red in your ledger. Crain's Chicago Business spoke with former McDonald's franchisee Richard Adams, who said the memo indicates "a big cultural shift."
McDonald's has also benefited from staying open longer, promotions like its dollar menu and specials like the McRib, which you should eat at your own risk.