Denis Hennequin, the head of McDonald’s Europe, has said that the UK represents the biggest European challenge for the fastfood giant. In interviews with UK press, he said that McDonald’s ‘tired’ image in the UK was holding back European sales.
In order to revamp McDonald’s image, Hennequin said, the company intends to pump investment into refurbishing McDonald’s restaurants.
A spokesperson for McDonald’s UK confirmed that up to 200 outlets will be remodelled in the next three to five years, although it is currently uncertain how much will be invested in this venture. The spokesperson told just-food that this is not a ‘new’ initiative, but rather it is an ongoing project that has seen approximately 150 restaurants ‘reimaged’ over the last few years at a cost of GBP20m (US$35.6m): “this is very much an ongoing process,” she said.
Hennequin was also reported to suggest that McDonald’s may be considering selling off it’s 33% stake in sandwich chain Pret a Monger. McDonald’s UK division was unable to give any indication of the likelihood of this eventuality, saying “that was a European comment”.
