McDonald’s announces menu overhaul to attract GLP-1 weight loss drugs

McDonald’s announced on Wednesday a plan to invest $8.5 billion across the next ten years to revamp its restaurant fleet worldwide.

In an effort to cater to health-conscious diners, the Chicago-based fast-food giant intends to roll out grilled chicken wraps and sandwiches, alongside trials for new menu items such as egg bowls and bites.

According to Sky Anderson, the president of McDonald’s USA, roughly 30 million people in the US are currently taking GLP-1 weight loss medications, driving demand for smaller portions with higher protein content. Furthermore, internal data shows that 60 million American consumers are consciously trying to add more protein to their meals.

“This is an opportunity. We need to keep giving them more reasons to make McDonald’s their first choice,” Anderson stated during the company’s investor day event.

As part of the overhaul, locations will feature dedicated pickup lockers for delivery drivers, open coffee stations to highlight beverage quality, enlarged play spaces, and redesigned kitchens. Additionally, order-checking scales currently installed in 10,000 locations worldwide will expand to 20,000 sites by 2028.

The fast-food chain is also speeding up the rollout of ArchIQ, an artificial intelligence platform created alongside Google to boost order precision and streamline operations such as scheduling and inventory control.

While franchise owners generally allocate up to $450,000 every ten years for mandatory renovations, the revised strategy will require an extra $800,000 per store, though McDonald’s noted it plans to cover part of these expenses.