Reigniting the Yen For McDonald's
The fast food giant hopes free wireless, sleeker-looking stores, and a Japanese version of the dollar menu will bring customers back
By Ian Rowley and Hiroko Tashiro
Chief exec Eikoh Harada -- formerly of Apple Computers -- is trying mightily to put back some sizzle into the earnings performance of McDonald's Japan, the fast food empire's biggest and most important overseas operation. To turn things around, McDonald's Japan has been rolling out new sandwich products (shrimp burgers, anyone?) better tailored to natives' tastes. It now offers free wireless Internet at 2,660 restaurants in Japan, increasing traffic as "salarymen" surf while they snack. And to get a bigger bite of Japan's $62 billion fast food market, Harada is considering a new type of McDonald's restaurant with fancier menus and interiors. Here's a look at what's hot at McDonald's in the Land of the Rising Sun.
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