May 18--McDonald's is tweaking its McPick 2 value menu to allow its local restaurant operators to choose some items to include based on what sells well in a particular region.
The new promotion to be unveiled next week will include three classic menu items and up to three that local franchisees can choose themselves. Customers ordering the deal can select any two items from the list.
Customers will be offered a choice of the Big Mac, 10-piece Chicken McNuggets and Filet-O-Fish on the national menu. That leaves out the Quarter Pounder with Cheese, which had been offered on the national McPick 2 deal menu since late February. That sandwich is included in some local deals, though.
McDonald's said Chicago and Northwest Indiana franchisees are adding large fries to the deal, while others are experimenting with adding all-day breakfast items.
Franchisees already have been experimenting with different combinations and even different prices since the McPick 2 was launched earlier this year, as a replacement to the popular and long-standing Dollar Menu, which fell out of favor because of rising food costs.
The McPick 2 started out as a 2-for-$2 deal in January, offering the choice of a double cheeseburger, a small fries, a McChicken or mozzarella sticks. It moved up in price in late February, to 2 for $5, featuring the Big Mac, 10-piece Chicken McNuggets, Filet-O-Fish and Quarter Pounder with Cheese.
sbomkamp@tribpub.com
