“Would you like fries with it?” is not asked at McDonald’s Australia’s new pop-up, fries-only restaurant. The concept may be gimmicky, but it may not be the last of its kind as quick service restaurants (QSR) test more and more limited and contextual concepts.
On Monday (July 17th) McDonald’s in Australia (known locally as Makka’s) has announced the opening of a French fries restaurant in Sydney’s Darling Harbour. The roughly 15-foot-tall store is designed to look like a French fries carton and will sell medium-sized fries alongside sauces.
This so-called Macca’s Fry-Thru is part of a rollout of the restaurant’s brand experience as a global sponsor of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, according to local news outlets. secret sydneywill be open until August 20.
“We are thrilled to provide fans across the country with an unforgettable experience at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup,” commented McDonald’s Australia Brand Manager David Morris. statement. “Darling His Harbor-based our giant Macka’s Fries (aka Fly Thru) is a great place for all football fans to gather before and after a game to refuel with an iconic fries his fries. It’s the perfect place.”
The pop-up may be just a promotion for now, but it’s part of a broader trend for major QSR to design increasingly exclusive store concepts. For example, many brands have experimented with pickup-only and drive-thru-only stores.
last month, Starbucks Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President Rachel Ruggeri Shared in the Q&A of TD Cowen’s Future of Consumer Conferences Restaurant giants are considering opening delivery-only stores to more efficiently meet consumer demand for convenience.
“It’s important to have stores that cater to customers for different occasions,” said Ruggeri. “When we think about our opportunities in the future, it’s about how we leverage our portfolio to free up capacity and how we leverage it in a way that best meets the needs and demands of our customers. There will be different versions of drive-thru stores, and there will be different versions of pickup stores as well as delivery-only stores.”
Notably, however, Chili’s recently closed its pickup and delivery-only locations.
Still, rising food costs demand innovation. The data is cited in last month’s edition of his PYMNTS “B2B and Digital Payments Tracker®”, a collaboration with PYMNTS. american express, Inflation Brings Technology to Restaurant Menus, revealed that only 92% of restaurateurs consider food costs to be a significant challenge. Additionally, additional research highlighted in the report revealed that 75% of his restaurateurs plan to deploy new technology this year to address labor and cost challenges.
Many restaurants are reviewing their menus in light of soaring food and labor costs. Restaurants can streamline food preparation and production by experimenting with highly specialized concepts, such as french fries-only spots, to increase efficiency by focusing on the most in-demand items while fulfilling orders quickly. can be increased.
Moreover, the rise of virtual brands is often highly specialized, such as offering only grilled cheese or chicken tenders, and is very specific, especially considering the small number of these virtual brands. It could help pave the way for brick-and-mortar restaurant concepts. We moved into the physical world.
