McD Introduces Smoothies at Olympics
VANCOUVER –McDonald's is debuting a new menu item, smoothies, using famous athletes at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Two new smoothies, strawberry banana and wild berry, are debuting at the games in McDonald's three Olympic restaurants. The smoothies will be available in McDonald's restaurants this summer as part of the McCafe lineup that currently features coffee and latte drinks.
U.S. alpine skier Picabo Street, Canadian ice hockey team captain Cassie Campbell and U.S. gymnast Shawn Johnson have been chosen as spokespersons for the chain.
"This is as good as it gets. This is awesome," says skier Picabo Street about how seeing the McDonald's arches while competing abroad is a welcome sign from home. McDonald's (NYSE: MCD) has more than 32,000 restaurants in more than 100 countries. Approximately 80 percent of McDonald's restaurants worldwide are owned and operated by franchisees.
McDonald's restaurants in the Olympic Villages in Vancouver and Whistler are feeding more than 10,000 athletes, coaches and officials, and the McDonald's restaurant in the Main Media Center feeds the nearly 3,000 media expected. These restaurants are open 24 hours a day and offer McCafe beverages and snacks. The restaurants are staffed by 300 top-performing restaurant employees from across Canada.
"McDonald's is proud to welcome the world to Vancouver and we're proud to celebrate the Games," announced McDonald's Canada President John Betts. "We have our best serving the world's best athletes. Imagine going from serving your friends and neighbors in Montreal, to providing a Big Mac to a hockey star from Russia or a cappuccino to a German ice skater. Our employees are proud to be part of this Olympic experience."
At more than 1,400 restaurants across Canada, including more than 30 McDonald's restaurants in Vancouver and Whistler, customers can enjoy new limited-time menu offerings such as the S'mores Pie and the Creme Brulee Crunch McFlurry.
McDonald's is a sponsor of the 2010 Winter Olympics. Customers in the U.S. are seeing some of their favorite winter athletes on packaging in the 14,000 McDonald's restaurants. Graham Watanabe (men's snowboard), Jennifer Rodriguez (women's speedskating), J.R. Celski (men's speedskating), Dustin Byfuglien (men's hockey), Patrick Deneen (men's skiing), Kelly Clark (women's snowboard), Angela Ruggiero (women's ice hockey) and Paralympian Sean Halsted (alpine skiing) are currently featured on cups and bags. The latest McDonald's USA promotion features Chicken McNuggets and a new, limited-time Sweet Chili dipping sauce, available starting February 12.
U.S. alpine skier Picabo Street gives a mini-advertisement about the Golden Arches
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