Dive Brief:
- McDonald’s foot traffic experienced double-digit growth following the July 10 relaunch of the Snack Wrap, according to Placer.ai data emailed to Restaurant Dive.
- Visits were up 15% on July 10 compared to the year-to-date average and 11% compared to the year-to-date weekday average. On July 11, visits increased 22.3% compared to the year-to-date average, and 7% for the year-to-date respective weekday average.
- This bump is particularly impressive as it laps the launch of last summer’s $5 Meal Deal promotion, R.J. Hottovy, head of analytical research at Placer.ai, said in an email to Restaurant Dive. That value deal helped boost same-store sales by 0.3% during Q3 2024.
Dive Insight:
Given McDonald’s same-store sales dropped 3.6% in the U.S. in the first quarter, this traffic boost is good news for the chain, especially as the QSR giant leans heavily on menu innovation this year. Earlier this year, it added chicken tenders to the menu and will add a Daily Double to its value menu later this month. It is also working on testing beverages inspired by its CosMc’s concept.
“Consumers responded favorably to the return of McDonald’s Snack Wrap, with Placer.ai visitation data indicating a meaningful lift in daily visits during the first three days of the relaunch compared to year-to-date averages,” Hottovy said. “The Snack Wrap's successful comeback is the latest example of a revived product finding success, reinforcing the power of nostalgia in today’s QSR limited-time offers.”
McDonald's visitations during the Snack Wrap’s launch weekend
A McDonald’s in Ashburn, Virginia, visited by Restaurant Dive had drive-thru lines wrapping around the building on July 11. One worker said that the restaurant was busier than normal during the lunch hour and was selling a lot of Snack Wraps.
Other chains, including Popeyes, Taco Bell and Culver’s have been leaning into chicken items to boost sales and traffic this summer. Popeyes also released a Signature Sauce this week alongside an LTO of Chicken Dippers. White Castle added Chicken Sliders to its permanent menu late last month.