All That's Left Is Super Self-Control



McDonald;s announced today they will kowtow to the anti-obesity lobby and eliminate Supersized fries and drinks.

In a sign of the times, McDonald’s is getting rid of the extra-large portions that had become one of its signatures. The burger giant said it has begun phasing out Supersize fries and drinks in its more than 13,000 U.S. restaurants and will stop selling them altogether by year’s end, except in promotions.

The company cited the need to trim a menu that has expanded in recent years and said eliminating super-sizing is only part of that effort.

“The driving force here was menu simplification,” spokesman Walt Riker said after McDonald’s disclosed the change in strategy in a brief statement late Tuesday. “The fact of the matter is not very many Supersize fries are sold.”

But the downsizing of super-sizing comes as fast-food companies are under intense pressure to cater to Americans’ growing preference for healthier food options.

The move is part of McDonald’s “Eat Smart, Be Active” initiative, which it launched last year under first-year CEO Jim Cantalupo and U.S. operations chief Mike Roberts in an attempt to revive then-stagnant U.S. sales.



(The Hamburglar promises his adoring public that he'll always be Supersized where it counts)

I think they'll need to do a little more than that to get Mike Piazza through their doors. But either way, "menu simplification" is just P.R.-speak for admitting that the phrase Supersize has become synonymous with early death.

Menu's don't get much more simplified than In-N-Out's, but that's why you can order additional items if you know the lingo.

Posted: Wed - March 3, 2004 at 04:44 PM      

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