German fast-food eaters are notoriously tough to please and McDonald’s admits business there has been sluggish. But now comes a possible solution in the form of McCurrywurst, an appealingly priced (€2.99 or $3.99) mix of pork bratwurst chunks in a spicy tomato sauce accompanied by shaker packs of either mild or sharp curry powder. Will this turn around sales?
Bratwurst is popular in Germany: McDonald’s has tried it before, introducing the mini Nürnburger brat sandwich in July 2010. McDonald’s is hoping McCurrywurst will re-energize the chain’s sales in Germany. Same-store sales in Europe were down 2.1% in Europe in January (compared with a 0.9% gain in the U.S.) due in part to soft sales in Germany.
During the company’s Jan. 23, 2013, earnings call with analysts, McDonald’s Corp. CEO Don Thompson called Germany a “tough nut,” adding, “Germany is a tough environment from a consumer perspective. It is the most cost sensitive from a promotional perspective.” As a result, McDonald’s is promoting a €1 Menu akin to the Dollar Menu here. The German version has recently added Western Beef and Western Chicken burgers to the €1 Menu, which already had a plain hamburger, cheeseburger, McDouble and McToast Bacon breakfast sandwich, among others.
At €2.99 and 450 calories, McCurrywurst is neither premium-priced nor over-indulgent: It falls between the 750-calorie Bigger Big Mac being promoted in Germany (45% larger) and the 395 McMuffin BBQ Pork limited-time sandwich on the breakfast menu. But the low price and out-of-the-ordinary flavor combo could be a sales booster.
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The May Burger of the Month at R.J. Grunts in Chicago is the Chihuahua Burger. That's a ground chuck and sirloin patty topped with Chihuahua cheese, jalapeño cabbage slaw, pickled red onion, cilantro, and Cholula garlic aïoli. To see the full list of May's best Burgers of the Month around the country, click
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