Ooh La La! McDonald's secret weapon to woo the French: The McBaguette
McDonald's is going native in France. The fast-food giant is to offer a burger served on a baguette, part of a wider effort to offer more local items in its restaurants and tap into a more upscale diner.
Meat the McBaguette!
So what do call this Big Mac rival: the McBaguette, of course.
For six weeks from April 18, the 1,228 McDonald's restaurants across France will feature the McBaguette, containing a burger topped with French-made Emmental cheese and mustard.
At the moment McDonald's special French offering is three limited-edition burgers featuring locally produced cheeses.
The McBaguette will replace these temporarily, says the Wall Street Journal, pointing out that France's national obsession is bread, with 98% of the population eating it every day.
That;s about 150 grams of bread a day, or roughly 55 kilograms a year. And the baguette is the hot favourite. A recent study found that 65% of the two billion sandwiches sold each year in France were baguette-based.
The McBaguette will be sold for €4.50, more than a euro above the average price of a sandwich in France . The baguette burger may be back if the initial six-week run is a success.
On Parisian shown a picture commented to the WSJ, "A baguette isn't square - but I would give it a try." Another said, "It looks good, and much healthier than McDo's regular burger."