Taking a page from Paula Dean, Food Network’s super chef known for her Southern home cooking, McDonald’s is offering free Southern Style Chicken Biscuit with a purchase of a large drink. Today only. Dubbed the a.m. style biscuit, two home made biscuits between a chicken patty. The p.m. version is a sandwich. For full details, click on this link.I am not too crazy about the idea. First, it is nothing innovative. Chicken and biscuits, where’s the gravy. Now, a ladle of gravy (lumpy) poured over my chicken biscuit, now that’s an idea. But wait, that won’t get past the legal department. Gravy too hot! Remember, a few years back. The infamous coffee spill. Hot coffee spills on a patron. She sues and granted a few hundred thousand dollars. So, no gravy.
Here is your dose of Law and Order: Food Division. For details of the court case, click here.

Consultant hat.

Well, lets break down the food cost of this commotion promotion. First, biscuits are not worth much, mainly flour. Chicken is one of the least expensive meat. Sure, you’ll end up buying a large soda that is probably worth $.15 cents in food cost. Soda is cheap. Carbonated water + syrup. The cup will cost Mickey D’s about $.5. So, the “meat” of the cost is in the marketing. Think human behavior. The goal of McDonald’s is to have your happy feet walk through those doors. Reminisce about your childhood, playing with the Mario Brother Happy Meal toy. In sales, it is called a lost leader. Retail stores simply have it down to a science. Patrons are lured in through the door and end up spending more than they thought they would. BigMac, french fries, and apple pie. For the record, my favorite sandwich was the McRib. Tangy BBQ sauce smothered in a tender pork patty. View the McRib commercial. A cross promotion between NFL Broncos team and McDonald’s. After being in the food marketing business for many years, I consider McDonald’s a champion in the real estate and marketing company.

My idea of a great breakfast are some great eggs, hazel nut coffee, hash, and corn beef.