Why the McWrap Is So Important to McDonald's | Hacker News Reader

Why the McWrap Is So Important to McDonald's

businessweek.com

47 pointskitcar68 comments

The most interesting part about this, to me, is this:

"After lengthy discussions with produce suppliers around the country, Coudreaut managed to add one new ingredient to the McDonald’s arsenal: the English cucumber. That might not seem like a big change, but when the chain added sliced apples to its menu, it immediately became one of the largest buyers of apples in the country. The company had to build up reserves of edamame before it introduced its Asian salad. Coudreaut would like to add guacamole one day. Who knows what that would do to the avocado supply?"

It's mind-blowing that McDonald's works on a large enough scale that introducing a vegetable to their menu means that they needed to be concerned about exhausting the supply of that vegetable.

I got to that part and felt like the article had become an allegory about our field; I was simultaneously saddened at the idea of being a professional cook in a kitchen where goat cheese was too "niche" and enthralled at the idea of problem-solving food in an setting where the decision to use guacamole might exhaust the global supply of avocados. It made me think about the choice between working at, say, Google and a startup.

I don't eat too often @ MacDonald's and I'm not in the US, so correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't cucumber already present inside i.e. a BigMac? I don't like cucumbers (and neither my wife) and I remember every time taking a small slice out from the burger

Technically yes, but we're talking about pickles[1] in a big mac. And a property of pickled cucumber is that they can be conserved for much and much longer, therefore easier in the 'hit' on global supply and also way cheaper.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pickled_cucumber

Thank you for the clarification!

You know, between McDonalds, BK, et al and the street meat vendors around, I don't understand why all fast food vendors in the US and Canada haven't opted for Korean-style lettuce wraps. Firm, crunchy, fresh lettuce makes for such a better health-conscious sandwich vessel.

The healthiness of these wraps is hindered dramatically by the far-from-filling* carbs and empty cals of the tortillas / flatbreads, and I'd bet at scale the lettuce isn't much more expensive than the wraps.

*Corrected from complex

Im speculating, but I would think that getting lettuce of that quality and freshness would be far too big a challenge for typical US fast food chain distribution. Fluctuations in demand and short shelf life would make it very difficult for most fast food restaurants to avoid wasting a good percentage of the lettuce, I would think.

As a farmer, I would replace "be too big a challenge" with "hurt their bottom line". It is surprisingly easy to find quality food if you're willing to pay a little more. It's just hard to undersell a "5lb bag of lettuce" for ~$3.88[0]

[0] http://www2.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=10179296&w...

I suspect you're right, and generally what I figured. But then when I see street meat vendors with fresh onions and pickles every day, I question if that's really the reason.

The funny part about this is they could easily grow lettuce on the roofs of their restaurants. In fact, you can take a head of lettuce, use it, put the remaining stalk in water, and it may grow new roots. If it does, you can replant it and grow your own lettuce.

I have 2 friends who have done this in their kitchens before having to move the plant back into dirt. When I move to an apartment with a south-facing window, I'll definitely join them.

"they could easily grow lettuce"

There is a constant stream of cars going through some McDonalds drive-thrus. I would worry a bit about the car exhausts somehow getting to the lettuce, soil etc in sufficient concentration to be an issue. I don't know if this would be a problem or not but as a consumer (who doesn't go to McDonalds) it's something that comes to my mind and I'm sure others (regardless of the type of, um, food they are eating) might also be skived by it.

> they could easily grow lettuce on the roofs of their restaurants.

In some parts of the year in some regions. Otherwise it's down to greenhouses and irrigation. Not to mention relying on minimum wage employees to farm successfully enough to build a business around.

Not to mention some restaurants – pretty much every non-standalone location, such as those inside Wal-Marts, malls, even commercial development rows – don't have their own roofs per se, or if they do, employees would not necessarily be permitted access. Plus, can you imagine the time involved in having location employees deal with harvesting produce?

Actually, tortillas made from white flour (like the McWrap) contain "simple" carbs, not "complex" carbs.

Complex carbs, if you can get them in a wrap (through a whole-wheat tortilla for instance), are good for you.

You're right; corrected my mistake.

It's a big risk to expose to the masses something they may be uncomfortable with. It took decades for the burrito to devolve into a wrap (substituting flour for corn tortillas, for example, to enable longer stored freshness).

For example, the "filler" in a lettuce wrap is typically rice, as much as it is a staple in countries is barely touched by some in America and Europe. Lettuce as a wrapper may seem too "salady" - Real Americans (from focus groups) want meat ..which according to the article is why the mcWrap doesn't have too many veggies inside.

They even passed on a Bulgogi beef McWrap as too niche (pretty universally yummy IMO, just not to their focus groups)

That said, I've never served a Momofuku-style Bo Ssam that wasn't loved, (pulled pork with a sugar glaze, rice, pickles, and various tangy sauces for those that havent heard) , to see it at every McDonalds actually makes sense - just requires a long education and marketing campaign to ease people into it.

> It took decades for the burrito to devolve into a wrap (substituting flour for corn tortillas, for example, to enable longer stored freshness).

No, burritos have been made from flour since the start. The adoption of flour tortillas likely had more to do with it being a better crop for the Chihuahua region in the late 1800s.

Gluten-free diets are seen as a bit of a fad, however it's a necessity for those with Celiac's Disease or a high gluten-intolerance. I assume a lettuce wrap would be cheaper to implement than gluten-free bread. I'm surprised we don't see more of them around.

Differences in flavor and mouth feel of lettuce wraps vs. breads poses a problem for the chains that goes beyond the material costs.

If you look at the ingredients of the typical hamburger bun sold at a supermarket, you'll notice that it's actually doubling as a delivery mechanism for additional sodium and soybean oil - it's very influential on the taste and texture of the sandwich. And when you remove the bun from the burger, you have a meat patty which tastes like any meat that's been fried or grilled. So because the bun allows the chains to distinguish themselves further, it's part of their brand identity, as well.

I had...a noodle wrapped egg sausage, sage, sesame...something tonight. Street food can be nice in an Asian summer.

Given how Big Mac is cheaper than salad, I don't think lettuce is a viable option.

Look at the inputs. How much land does it take to grow a head of lettuce? How much land, including that used for feed, does it take to grow a cow?

If the farm area used to grow plants to feed the meat that goes into the Big Mac were instead used to grow vegetables, we'd have vast surpluses of vegetables. I love a good burger, but it's crazy how much meat we eat when you think about the amount of resources soaked up by meat production.

The issue with lettuce is that it needs to be harvested, washed, transported and eaten within a certain time period. It can't be frozen or preserved.

Cattle can be transported alive, then when slaughtered, the meat can be frozen and transported.

Growing veggies IS a more efficient use of resources, but presents more challenges for a franchise such as McDonald's. This is why you see more veggies and salads on menus of independent food businesses.

I agree, especially on the shelf-life issue. Just-in-time manufacturing is hard all the way around, and even harder when it comes to food. Meat is much easier to preserve than produce in such a way that's acceptable to fast food consumers (especially when you're already eating THAT much salt!), meaning large chains like McDonald's wind up bringing more operations challenges in house as they add produce. This translates to a reduction of cost/revenue predictability, which at least initially might need to be mitigated by increased margins.

Having never worked at the kind of scale at which McDonalds operates it's hard to say whether or not these challenges are insurmountable. However my hunch is that if the demand was there, McDonalds would figure it out. They have a remarkable amount of resources that could be poured into these problems. Again, I'm as "red-blooded American" as they come when it comes to eating meat, but as a bleeding heart environmentalist I sure wish the market would change.

The most telling comment? "[H]is goal is to change people’s perceptions about McDonald’s food not being real"

Not "His goal is to change McDonalds food into something real". Just all about perception/spin.

Well, it is marketing after all...

See also "Healthy looking hair", "Younger looking skin" etc. etc.

It is real. It may not serve your goals, however.

I just can't wait until they bring out a falafel wrap. Their new premium mcwraps are actually pretty good for something on the run and I'm not even a big fast-food fan.

The problem McDonalds has is that no matter how 'healthy' a meal they put together, anyone that pays attention to their health and what they eat, would not consider McDonalds a healthy meal. On the other spectrum, the type of people going to fast food every day think of Subway as a healthy choice and therefore when most people choose McDonalds, its not for a healthy food choice, but more for the indulgence. So while the McWrap might be a significant addition to McDonalds menu, the Double Cheeseburger, French Fries and Big Macs will continue to reign supreme.

-EDIT- For those arguing that they can eat healthy at McDonalds, I really strongly recommend reconsidering your nutrition plan. I didn't want to go there with this comment, I was trying to make the point that a healthy dieter won't opt for McDonalds, but people have seemed to want to argue that they can and apparently do eat healthy at McDonalds. Thats cool with me, but if you have fitness/bodyweight goals to achieve, best to stick with food directly from the farm. In addition, when you get your nutrition right, you feel good, and that feeling is addictive. If you are scrambling to McDonalds and then ordering a 'healthy choice', there is better way.

And thats my two cents.

I pay attention to what I eat and consider some options at McDonalds healthy. Their grilled chicken sandwich and salads are great options. I also like healthy choices from Subway.

I hear arguments like yours all the time but they're never backed up with actual data. It's just generic fast food bashing. Many fast food places have healthy choices along side unhealthy choices. The options are there.

I have to disagree. If you pay attention to pesticides, or organic stuff then you are just out of luck at a McDonalds. That 'healthy' chicken breast is actually really low quality chicken. You say you pay attention to your health by choosing the 'healthy' options at McDonalds, but realistically thats not all that healthy, especially for me.

Everyones genetics allow them to eat differently. If McDonalds is healthy and working for you, great. If you want to try something different, figure out where the meat and vegetables are coming from before you put it in your mouth. Might seem extreme, but actually its logical.

Also, my point wasn't the lack of healthy options at a fast food joint (ironic), but is that generally people don't go there to eat healthy. Remember, you are what you eat. Even the most in shape people know there is no such thing as exercising yourself into shape without a good diet.

Side note: I live in a world where processed foods are the devil and pretty cook and subsist off of 1 meal per day. I am the extreme. But I used to be on the opposite side of the spectrum, picking a fast food place daily for lunch and stuff. Lost over 50lbs and bf under 15 for the first time in my life. I went from almost diabetic to completely healthy, "with a strong heart".

Also, a shout out to fatburningman.com because that site will teach you some honest fitness, life and health skills.

Now you're turning into an argument about organic foods and pesticides. Based on your definition of healthly food, many supermarkets would be in the same category as fast food places.

The sauce is generally too loaded in calories to make McDonald's healthy. But if you like it, you don't have to feel guilty. ;)

McDonald's, Subway and the others are not vending machines. You can ask them to hold the sauce. I order my sandwiches with no mayo. Healthy options are there.

> anyone that pays attention to their health and what they eat, would not consider McDonalds a healthy meal

Which is, at best, half-true. Health can only be determined as fitness for purpose and it's possible that a McDonald's meal is fit for a certain purpose. Nothing magically makes McDonald's food evil, even if it's rarely fit for a purpose most First World people have.

Normally I don't believe in making these kinds of posts but - I've never heard of the McWrap before. Is it really "summer blockbuster" level of advertising? Have I been able to insulate myself that well from such things with ad-block and watching pirated tv shows (which have the ads excised)? Or was that hyperbole in the article?

Here around Boston, they've done tons of advertising on the trains & busses. That's how I had heard of it.

The consultant at the end critical of McDonald's focus on variety is really thinking wrong for McDonalds. Chipotle and Five Guys of course should focus - they have to take a niche market to compete with the bug guys. McDonalds as the market leader has to go for variety if they want to keep growing sales.

Wait, "fresher, seemingly healthier offerings from competitors such as Five Guys"?

The meat isn't frozen, and to the extent Five Guys is a downmarket In n Out minus religion, they serve relatively "unadulterated" if otherwise unhealthy burgers/shakes/fries.

Calling Five Guys a 'downmarket' anything is silly. They're probably the most expensive / up market fast food burger place out there. And they don't do shakes (at least here on the East Coast, where they started). Burgers, dogs, and fries (well, and some 'veggie' versions of sandwich).

In N Out is essentially the same (worse fries, but with shakes, and with customizations like animal style and the 4x4), and is religious, and has been around since 1948 (vs. 1986, and only recently in California). Five Guys charges twice as much for the same burger, though. I've tried both head to head once Five Guys opened in San Jose, and the meat, cheese, and lettuce/etc. itself was better from In N Out, the bread at both sucked, and fries at in n out were horrible by comparison (although IMO McD's fries are still the best).

Shake Shack is better than either (and, 3x the price of in n out), but is only on the East Coast.

Interesting - I had the opposite experience. I had In N Out in San Diego, and then flew to DC, and have Five Guys. I much preferred the Five Guys. In N Out tasted/felt low quality.

I do agree about Shake Shack though :)

There may be some variability between restaurants of the same chain, too.

I really want to do the Church/Popeyes/KFC/Grocery/homemade fried chicken double-blind test sometime.

Oooh, that's a good idea. All 4 of those are within a 5 minute drive of here. Toss in Hardees to round things out...

They also have a lettuce wrap option (burger sans bun).

Well, if you ignore calories, fat, and salt, I guess.

Branding is powerful magic.

There are better alternatives to McDonald's. When I used to travel on business I found Subway veggie sandwichs to be OK, as an example. I have not spent much time on it recently, but I have a web app (http://cookingspace.com) were my goal was to show how recipes can be morphed, based on what ingredients you have in our kitchen. My wife and I can both make nutritious and tasty food fairly quickly with whatever we have in our kitchen. My goal was to teach people to eat better, but so few people use the app on a regular basis that I consider that a failed project.

Interesting that they highlighted the Big Mac and the Sausage & Egg Muffin as core products.

Nothing else really tempts me. The Big Mac for when I want a (guilt inducing) lunch, and the muffin for the best breakfast hangover go-to I know of.

But then I remember that the awesome fries and coke supplement the appeal of the Big Mac, and the hash brown and juice are the same for the muffin.

Everything else seems tailored to crafting a menu that funnels people into keeping those two products on people's mental radars as permitted breakfast and lunch options.

You can get the sandwich by itself, instead of part of a sandwich/potato/drink package. I always do.

Breakfast hangover cure is the vanilla milkshake.

Or a shot (not a full can, just a shot) of cheap beer. :)

As a Canadian, I find the cost difference startling. The article talks about the wraps being expensive at $4, which sounded reasonable to me, being on par with the cost of their salad offerings north of the 49th. Then in the next sentence, they refer to the “$4 Angus Third Pounder burger”, which was actually $7 here. I had no idea there was such a divergence in pricing.

I don't know about the US, but where I live in Canada, there is a definite decline in the amount of McDonald's restaurants and other fast food chains. I know of at least half a dozen Chinese and Indian restaurants that used to be McDonald's restaurants, and many ex-Pizza Huts too. Ethnic fast food is just so much better (and healthier!).

Yo people, let them have their ads, don't submit printer-only versions!

http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-07-03/why-the-mcwr...

Chipotle has totally replaced McDonalds for me (though obviously it doesn't play in the same price range). If you can afford $8 for lunch, why would you want pre-fab food when you can get freshly sliced chicken you can see being grilled right behind the prep station?

Worth mentioning that while Chipotle campaigns based on a farm-to-table ethos, McDonalds is also pushing suppliers towards humane sourcing.

That said: I'll feed Chipotle to my kids, and we actively avoid McDonalds.

Fun fact about Chipotle: all their pork and (I think?) beef is cooked sous-vide in a central kitchen in Chicago.

This is a pure publicity piece. McDonald's had a chicken wrap on the menu in 2006, albeit without as many vegetables. An article about the business of the McWrap would talk about earlier versions of the menu item, whether or not they succeeded, and so on.

"the product of years of research and testing"

All that to catch up with a Mexican Taco which predates the arrival of Europeans in Mexico?

That's a little unfair. I'm pretty sure that there were no 'restaurant chains' with the size of McDonald's in Mexico prior to the arrival of Europeans. The 'years of research and testing,' includes a lot of consideration of storage, distribution, preparation, etc issues.

I am still waiting for a high fat, low carb addition to their menu.

If you have Hardees in your area, check out the low carb thick burger. Sometimes it's not posted on the menu, but it's there if you ask. It's essentially the "frisco" with the large outer leaves of a head of iceburg used as the bread. Though if you actually want it to be low carb, order it without the ketchup. Be warned, though. It's salty as hell and whether or not it's edible as a sandwich depends on how accustom the person is to making it.

I think their real problem is preservatives.

Do you have any evidence of this?

Seeing more and more of these so called 'news articles' that are clearly well placed, long copy marketing. Didn't feel like you we're being sold, did you? But I'll bet you want to try a McWrap!

You mean kind of like http://www.paulgraham.com/submarine.html ?

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