McDonald's Salads Break Olympic Record
PRNewswire-FirstCall
ATHENS, Greece
Aug 23, 2004
As the second week of the Olympic Games begins, McDonald's Corporation (NYSE: MCD) -- the Official Restaurant Partner of the Games -- has announced that its three Olympic venue restaurants have exceeded predicted sales by over 40%. McDonald's new salads have already become a favorite with customers, selling three times the anticipated number during the first week of the Games.
"The McDonald's salads have proven to be one of the big hits of the Olympic Games so far, along with McDonald's traditional favorites. They have become a popular choice of athletes visiting our restaurant in the Olympic Village. During the first week of the Games, the athletes have enjoyed over 25,000 salads and over 21,000 Fruit & Yogurt," said McDonald's Hellas Managing Director and former Olympic swimmer, Illias Malamas. "We are delighted with the response of the Olympic athletes visiting our restaurant. We are very pleased with the popularity of our salads, which have seen similar success in our restaurants throughout the U.S. and Europe."
A recently-expanded menu of variety and choice, one of the largest ever offered by McDonald's at the Games, is available to athletes, coaches, officials, reporters and spectators at the three McDonald's restaurant sites located in the Olympic Village, Main Press Center (MPC) and Athens Olympic Sports Complex (OAKA). Customers have enjoyed familiar favorites including the Big Mac sandwich and world famous fries, as well as new salad offerings and Fruit and Yogurt. The three McDonald's restaurants are seeing a steady increase in sales every day.
The Olympic success comes in a year in which McDonald's has done more than ever to help encourage customers to lead balanced, active lifestyles. McDonald's has introduced a variety of new menu choices across the world including a variety of premium salads in Australia, the United States, Canada and in 16 European countries. McDonald's has also launched a new website -- http://www.goactive.com/ -- in partnership with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to help people around the world incorporate physical fitness into their daily lives.
McDonald's is hosting a number of events at the Games to reinforce its commitment to encouraging physical activity. On Tuesday, August 24th, McDonald's is hosting Go Active! Day in Athens. Olympic legends Jackie Joyner-Kersee and Carl Lewis will join the McDonald's team, the IOC and the Greek Sports Ministry in promoting active, balanced lifestyles.
Jackie Woodward, Vice President, Global Brand Business, said: "The Olympic Games and the ideals they represent are perfectly aligned with our strong commitment to helping people everywhere live more balanced, active lives. We are delighted that the Olympic athletes and their supporters in the Olympic Village have been enjoying the full range of our menu with more and more people coming back each day. We hope that our customers across the world will embrace this message about the importance of leading a balanced, active lifestyle."
The ATHENS 2004 Olympic Games mark McDonald's fourth Olympic Games as a TOP Sponsor and fifth as the Official Restaurant of the Olympic Games. In 2004, McDonald's announced the continuation of its sponsorship for the next four consecutive Games through 2012.
McDonald's is the world's leading foodservice retailer with more than 30,000 local restaurants, serving about 47 million people each day in over 100 countries. More than 70 percent of McDonald's restaurants around the world are owned and operated by independent, local businessmen and women.
Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/19990916/MCDLOGOAP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/
PRN Photo Desk, +1-888-776-6555 or +1-212-782-2840
SOURCE: McDonald's Corporation
CONTACT: Lisa Howard of McDonald's, Mobile: +1-630-623-5044, Local
Mobile: +30 697 636 4925, Lisa.Howard@mcd.com , or Adam Scholder of
Burson-Marsteller, Mobile: +1-847-204-0949, Local Mobile: +30 697 636 4946,
Adam_Scholder@chi.bm.com