A man steps out of a McDonalds restaurant with sign announcing take-out service only in Hollywood, California on March 16, 2020 as the Coronavirus pandemic brings much of California to a standstill.
Frederic J. Brown | AFP | Getty Images
McDonald’s is pulling its all-day breakfast menu to simplify operations as the coronavirus pandemic strains restaurant operations.
“To simplify operations in our kitchens and for our crew, and ensure the best possible experience for our customers, we are working with our franchisees and local restaurants to focus on serving our most popular choices and will begin temporarily removing some items from the menu over the next few weeks,” Bill Garrett, the senior vice president of McDonald’s U.S. operations, said in a statement.
“We will regularly evaluate the situation and look to move back to our regular menu as soon as possible,” he added.
The launch of the all-day breakfast menu in October 2015 helped fuel McDonald’s turnaround. Last year, the fast-food chain began allowing U.S. franchisees to whittle down their all-day breakfast offerings in order to speed up service times.
McDonald’s said in a regulatory filing on Wednesday that the virus could have a “material” impact on its business. In the United States, “substantially all” locations are operating with only drive-thru, takeout or delivery options, the filing said. Some locations may have limited hours.
Other markets, including France, the United Kingdom, Italy and Spain, have closed all restaurants.
The company has also suspended its share buyback program and is giving rent and service fee deferrals to some franchisees.
McDonald’s shares closed up slightly Wednesday at $162.98. The stock, which has a market value of $125.6 billion, is down more than 17% since the start of the year.