‘McPick 2’ to replace McDonald’s Dollar Menu

Associated Press

NEW YORK

It’s the Dollar Menu, take two.

McDonald’s hopes it has a catchy, new deal that will be as hugely popular as its Dollar Menu. Early next year, the fast-food chain will launch the “McPick 2” menu, which will let customers pick two of the following items for $2: a McDouble, a McChicken, small fries and mozzarella sticks.

The offering has gained the necessary votes from franchisees to make it onto the national menu and will be available in U.S. restaurants for a five-week run starting Jan. 4. After that, McDonald’s said it may change the details of the offering but that it plans to stick with the “McPick” concept and name.

It’s just the latest effort by McDonald’s to revive slumping sales with bigger moves, such as making breakfast items like Egg McMuffins available all day. The chain also has been trying to find a new way to attract deal seekers after moving away from the Dollar Menu, which was introduced more than a decade ago.

“As we moved away from the Dollar Menu, we didn’t replace it with offers of an equivalent form of value. And customers have voted with their feet,” CEO Steve Easterbrook said in July.

In an attempt to wean customers off the Dollar Menu in 2012, McDonald’s rolled out an “Extra Value Menu” that offered items for a range of prices. After that failed to take hold, the company turned to the “Dollar Menu & More,” which channeled a proven name but may have confused people with its range of prices.