McDonald's USA is kicking of the new year with a number of heavy hitting promotions aimed at value-conscious consumers, including its new value breakfast menu and free Wi-Fi.
The new breakfast dollar menu is available in stores nationwide and includes five items: a sausage burrito, sausage McMuffin, sausage biscuit, hash browns and small premium roast coffee. Tests of the menu in Chicago also included two hotcakes and a Fruit 'n Yogurt Parfait, but those items did not make the national rollout, according to blog BurgerBusiness.
The value menu campaign may help McDonald's sagging same-store stores, which have been impacted by continued double-digit unemployment. U.S. same-store sales for November, the most recent monthly report available, were down 0.6 percent.
Consumers will be able to enjoy their value breakfast while surfing the Web for free later this month when a majority of the chain's McDonald's U.S. stores will no longer charge for Wi-Fi access. About 11,000 of its nearly 14,000 U.S. locations currently offer the Internet service, with most charging $2.95 for two hours of wireless access. The complimentary service will be available later this month.
Company spokeswoman Ashlee Yingling said the number of stores offering free Wi-Fi will continue to grow throughout the year.
With its new espresso-based beverages and reimaged store campaign, free Wi-Fi will make the restaurants more of a destination as it becomes the largest provider of in-store free wireless service in the country. Fast casual Panera Bread offers free Internet connections at its 1,400 stores, as does regional chain Krystal. Coffee giant Starbucks charges $3.99 for two hours of wireless Internet access at its approximately 11,000 U.S. locations.
McDonald's also is continuing with its specialty beverage rollout. While a target date has yet to be announced, the company will launch its smoothies and frappes sometime this year. Limited markets are testing the drinks, including Louisville, Ky., where they are available for $2.29-$3.29, depending on the size. A local advertising campaign in that market features mocha and caramel flavored frappes targeted as a "moment" of indulgence.
