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This means that two-thirds of sandwiches and hamburgers are now free of preservatives, flavors and artificial colors.
Time

When it comes to breakfast, McDonald's likes it.

The hamburger chain plans to introduce new dishes for breakfast, however without giving details about menu additions or their introduction date.

The news inspired by the media was announced Tuesday morning at the call of the third quarter results of the catering company.

"Breakfast is an opportunity," said CEO Steve Easterbrook.

Easterbrook has also announced plans to launch a new meal offer with basic menus so that guests can get a "satisfying meal at an affordable price".

McDonald's, which launched its all-day breakfast menu in October 2015, continues to look for new ways to bring in its customers and spend more money.

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According to the company, 15,000 restaurants worldwide have deliveries and kiosks to order, and 3,000 have been renovated around the world as part of its Future Experience initiative.

McDonald's reported net income of nearly $ 1.64 billion, or $ 2.10 per share, on revenues of nearly $ 5.37 billion for the quarter ended Sept. 30.

The hamburger chain exceeded analysts' expectations for the quarter. Refinitiv forecasts net income of nearly $ 1.56 billion, earnings per share of $ 1.99 and revenues of nearly $ 5.32 billion.

"In terms of sales, menu innovation is largely based," said Neil Saunders, managing director of GlobalData Retail. "McDonald's is not that great, but, in our opinion, rivals like Burger King still have an advantage in offering exciting and exciting seasonal selections, and McDonald's needs to improve."

He added that mobile kiosks and controls needed to be deployed "further and faster" and that McDonald's kitchens needed to be more automated, especially now that the menu options in the chain are more complex. Growth opportunities include the delivery and sale of items, such as coffee, although both are already competitive areas.

"The end result is that McDonald's has made good strategic decisions and that the company is much safer in the future than a few years ago," Saunders said. "However, he now needs a clearer view of the product and marketing."

The Chicago-based channel is coming out of a quarter that has had its ups and downs.

McDonald's celebrated the 50th anniversary of its iconic Big Mac and in September the chain announced that seven of its classic burgers sold in the United States – the burger, the cheeseburger, the double cheeseburger, the McDouble, the quarter pounder with cheese, the double quarter pounder with cheese and Mac – are now free of preservatives, flavors and artificial colors.

However, during the summer, a multi-state outbreak of cyclosporiosis-related diseases likely related to McDonald's salads has made 511 people sick in 15 states and in New York, according to the US Food and Drug Administration. Two dozen people were hospitalized; no one is dead. McDonald's has voluntarily extracted lettuce mixes from about 3,000 of its restaurants.

And in September, hundreds of McDonald's workers staged a #MeToo strike outside the company's headquarters in Chicago to highlight issues of sexual harassment in the workplace. Among the protesters' demands, there were more responsibilities and better training of the leaders, although the chain claimed to have strong anti-harassment policies and training in place.

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Force management to take stronger action against sexual harassment.
Time

Follow the USA TODAY reporter Zlati Meyer on Twitter: @ZlatiMeyer

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