McDonald’s is doubling down on its commitment to winning in chicken and beverages by introducing a Restaurant Experience Team—a dedicated cross-functional group designed to accelerate the company’s ability to turn ideas into execution. Starting May 1, Jill McDonald, currently president of International Operated Markets, will step into the newly created role of Chief Restaurant Experience Officer.
This move, reported by Crain’s Chicago Business, is part of a broader strategy to sharpen McDonald’s focus on key menu categories.
To further solidify its market position, McDonald’s has also established dedicated category teams for beef, chicken, and beverages/desserts. Charlie Newburger, VP of Marketing Strategy and New Business Ventures will lead the beverage/desserts division, with leaders for the beef and chicken groups to be announced soon.
McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski highlighted the importance of this shift, noting that McDonald’s is competing against specialist brands like KFC, which are singularly focused on winning in their respective categories. “This category team now allows us to have that same level of focus—ensuring we have the winning strategies to dominate in chicken, beverages, and beef,” he said.
McDonald’s Chicken Expansion and Market Share Goals
McDonald’s has been aggressively expanding its chicken offerings, aiming to capture another percentage point of market share by 2026. Key menu additions include:
- The return of Snack Wraps later this year
- A new chicken strip offering
- The Chicken Big Mac as a limited-time offering
Globally, the McCrispy sandwich—a $1 billion brand—is now sold in over 70 markets and will be available in nearly all McDonald’s locations by the end of the year.
Investment in Beverages with CosMc’s
Believing in the explosive growth of the crafted beverage segment, McDonald’s launched CosMc’s, a drink-focused concept aimed at testing new beverage iterations. The pilot location debuted in Bolingbrook, Illinois, in December 2023, with six additional locations opening in Texas.
CosMc’s menu includes:
- Energy drinks and refreshing non-caffeinated beverages
- Signature and classic brews
- A food menu with sandwiches, hash brown bites, and mini doughnuts
By the end of 2025, McDonald’s plans to close three larger CosMc’s locations and introduce two smaller, digital-focused formats in Texas.
The Restaurant Experience Team: Driving Efficiency and Innovation
The Restaurant Experience Team will integrate supply chain, franchising, development, restaurant design, delivery, and Speedee Labs to streamline in-restaurant technology and help General Managers optimize operations.
This new initiative builds on the Customer Experience Team launched in 2021, which connected marketing, menu innovation, and digital growth.
“This move will make us even better,” Kempczinski said. “It means all the ideas and visions we have will be realized in restaurants even faster, benefiting customers, restaurant crews, and franchisees.”
Recovery from Q4 Sales Slump
Despite a 1.4% decline in U.S. same-store sales in Q4, McDonald’s expects to rebound fully by early Q2, following setbacks from an E. coli outbreak linked to slivered onions. The company is relying on value messaging, menu innovation, and digital growth to regain momentum.
With a renewed category focus, dedicated leadership, and innovative expansion into beverages, McDonald’s is positioning itself to compete more aggressively and capture greater market share in 2025 and beyond.
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