Egg McMuffin - it may not be just for breakfast anymore.
McDonald's, which currently cuts off its breakfast menu at 10:30 a.m., is considering offering both breakfast and lunch menus at a time when people's eating habits are changing — particularly those coveted customers in their 20s and 30s.
"We know...that breakfast on the weekend cut off at 10:30 doesn't go very well," Jeff Stratton, head of McDonald's USA, told The Associated Press. He gave no details on how McDonald's would adjust kitchen operations to make breakfast later in the day. "Well, we're just beginning. We're just taking a look at it," he said.
McDonald's has long entertained the idea of serving breakfast throughout the day. It has been inching closer to making the idea a reality as it faces heightened competition and slumping sales. Last year, the company began offering an "After Midnight" menu at select locations. The menu, available from midnight to 4 a.m., consisted of a limited mix of breakfast and lunch items so kitchen operations wouldn't be overwhelmed.
The push to make breakfast outside normal hours also reflects how McDonald's is working to keep pace with shifting habits. In particular, executives have noted that customers increasingly want foods personalized to their tastes and schedules.