McDonald’s is holding an investor day presentation in Chicago on Wednesday to outline details of its growth strategy, titled McDonald’s > NEXT, which was introduced in June at its franchisee convention. The strategy centers on three main pillars: a new restaurant design, enhanced food and beverage quality, and consumer-focused innovation.
The event comes at a challenging time for the company. McDonald’s U.S. operations reported disappointing results in its most recent quarter, with same-store sales growth of just 0.8% and declining restaurant traffic. CEO Chris Kempczinski attributed the weakness to execution shortcomings, particularly in rolling out value offerings, rather than fundamental strategic flaws. The company’s stock has declined 18% over the past 12 months, significantly underperforming the S&P 500’s 16% gain during the same period. Skye Anderson, who was recently appointed president of McDonald’s U.S. business, is expected to address investors alongside Kempczinski.
Value pricing is expected to be a major focus of the presentation. Analysts anticipate McDonald’s will emphasize the importance of value offerings as it competes for price-conscious consumers. However, the company faces challenges with franchisee cooperation, as only about two-thirds of U.S. franchisees implemented its recent under-$3 menu due to concerns that discounts erode profit margins, particularly given elevated beef prices.
Beyond value, McDonald’s plans to highlight menu innovations focused on quality and taste. The company is expanding chicken offerings with hand-breaded options and has introduced new beverages including crafted sodas, refreshers, and energy drinks following the wind-down of its CosMc’s spinoff brand.
The company will also detail plans for a major restaurant remodeling program, the first comprehensive redesign initiative in roughly a decade. Capital expenditure increases of $600 million to $900 million are projected for 2027 and 2028 according to analyst estimates. Additionally, McDonald’s is expected to announce cost-reduction measures, including potential decreases in general and administrative spending and plans for refranchising certain company-owned locations.
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