Remaking and Simplifying the McDonald's Menu

It's a good time for a big change at McDonald's

Ever since my mom took me to my first McDonald’s, I’ve been fascinated by fast food. Sure, I enjoy a good burger or fried chicken sandwich as much as anyone, but what really intrigues me is how these places operate. How do they improve internal efficiencies? What food science breakthroughs are they utilizing? Whenever I visit a restaurant, I find myself looking around, trying to spot little details I might have missed. Doing this makes you develop strong opinions on a lot of things. Beyond the obvious factors like food quality, speed, affordability, and cleanliness, you start to notice things like the type of ice they use, the materials on the walls, and, of course, the menu.

A long-time trend in fast food has been novelty and diversity in menu offerings. While this has given us many great options over the years, it’s also led to menus becoming crowded and unfocused. This lack of focus in the kitchen often results in an over-reliance on food science to accommodate the larger variety of food items that need to be prepared, maintained, and served from a relatively small kitchen. I believe that a smaller, more focused menu can deliver a higher-quality product that people will want to come back for again and again.

In-N-Out Burger is a great example of this strategy. While they have a larger "Secret Menu," their standard menu is very straightforward.

Now, compare that to a modern McDonald’s menu.

6 Panels!

I know this might just be me daydreaming, but I’d love to see a world where McDonald’s adopts a strategy of quality and simplicity. They could focus their strengths and marketing expertise on a core product line centered around burgers, a reduced breakfast menu, and McNuggets, all available all day.

I have decided to put together a mission statement of sorts. It is based on what I believe is most important to deliver quality fast food to people. And I believe that McDonald’s has deviated from this. In this order, a good chain should focus on:

1. Quality

2. Value

3. Speed

I’m fully aware that it’s highly unlikely McDonald’s will ever change course. I’m also aware that the choices I would make won’t appeal to everyone. But this is a personal project for me. As I mentioned earlier, if you have an opinion, I’d love to hear it.

To visualize this idea, I decided to create a revised McDonald’s menu. At first, I just wrote it out, but recently, I took the time to mock up a menu board. Here’s my first version, let’s call it Version 0.1.

If you’ve made it this far, menus matter to you. So, you probably have some opinions on this, and I’d love to hear them in the comments. But before you share, I want to explain my thinking behind some of these decisions.

My inspiration for these changes comes partly from In-N-Out and partly from the original McDonald’s menu board at their now-closed museum in Des Plaines, Illinois.

After deciding on some style choices and colors, I needed to pick the foods. This was challenging. McDonald’s offers many interesting products, many of which I wouldn’t want to see go away, but to make meaningful changes, something had to be cut. I’m not claiming to be an authority—most of these choices are just my own opinions—but here’s my thought process.

• McDonald’s started with burgers, so burgers remain the focus. But which ones? I decided to keep it simple: hamburger, cheeseburger, double cheeseburger, and the iconic Big Mac. This meant removing the Quarter Pounder, which is actually my favorite McDonald’s burger. However, I believe that if they focused on quality, the double cheeseburger could fill the gap.

• McDonald’s does french fries well, and I’d love to see them go back to their original cooking method. Even if that doesn’t happen, fries stay on the menu, but they will only be available in one size. Want more? Just order a second serving.

• McNuggets remain on the menu and will only come in one size, probably 6 or 8 pieces. Dipping sauces will still be available.

• Since I’ve removed the Filet-O-Fish, I’m introducing a new item: Fish McNuggets. They’ll either be prepared with the tempura batter of Chicken McNuggets or, if possible, the coating from the original Filet-O-Fish. Hamburger University will have to figure that out.

• I still think McDonald’s should offer limited-time specials and regional items, like how the Filet-O-Fish or McRib occasionally make a comeback.

• Breakfast will now be available all day, just like lunch and dinner. I’ve cut many breakfast items, but I’ve kept the Big Breakfast, McMuffin, and McGriddle. Personally, I’d have preferred to keep the biscuit sandwiches, but the McGriddle offers more variety compared to the McMuffin.

• Shakes stay on the menu, but no more complicated, high-tech ice cream machines. Let’s go back to simpler shake machines. I’ll miss the sundaes and McFlurries, but you have to draw the line somewhere. Shakes will also only come in one size.

• I’ve reduced the variety of drinks and brought back the original Orange Drink. If they need to keep Orange Hi-C, I’m okay with that.

• For dessert, you’ll be able to get a fried hot apple pie. It will be dangerously hot and delicious—you’ve been warned.

• Finally, you can still upgrade your meal to a Value or Happy Meal, which includes a drink and fries, and in the case of the Happy Meal, a toy.

I’m happy enough with this to call it Version 0.1, but there are a few things I’d like to consider for future versions:

• Can we come up with a new name for the double cheeseburger?

• Instead of having meal options, should there be set meal prices with numbers? How would those be displayed on the menu?

• Where should regional or limited-time offerings be listed?

• Should I change the font or lighten the price font color?

• What about the McChicken? Chicken sandwiches are very popular right now. Is that a long-term trend, or could better burgers shift the balance?

• What would this menu look like on an ordering kiosk? Would it be simplified compared to what they use now?

• This is based on pre-pandemic pricing. Should I add modern prices? And if so, where can I get accurate price data? I know my local McDonald’s charges more than the national average.

• What would this approach look like at other fast food chains?

To wrap things up, I know this whole idea might seem a bit far-fetched, and maybe it’s just me indulging in some wishful thinking. But the point of this exercise was to rethink what fast food could look like with a bit more focus on quality and simplicity. I’m not expecting McDonald’s or any major chain to overhaul their menus based on this, but it’s fun to imagine how small changes could have a big impact. If you’ve stuck with me this long, you probably care about this stuff too, so I’d love to hear your thoughts. Whether you agree, disagree, or have ideas of your own, drop them in the comments. Let’s keep the conversation going!