McDonald’s Takes on the Fast-Food Dead Zone
- Hours between lunch and dinner have been vexing to industry
- Chain is testing premium desserts in about 700 U.S. locations
Confused About What to Eat? You're Not Alone
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To lure more mid-afternoon customers, McDonald’s Corp. is rejecting its recent health-food kick and rolling out the sweets: croissants, muffin tops and a new sundae-topping station for ice cream lovers.
The challenge is daunting. The hours between lunch and dinner are a fast-food dead zone. Only about 5 percent of McDonald’s customers show up at non-meal times such as 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., according to Peter Saleh, an analyst with BTIG in New York.