Why Doesn't McDonald's Serve Fries For Breakfast?

If you've ever wanted to accompany your McDonald's breakfast sandwich with the chain's famous french fries, you're not alone. No offense to the restaurant's admittedly tasty hash browns, but enjoying an Egg McMuffin with a side of salty, crispy spuds sounds like heaven. We know why McDonald's fries are so delicious (they're infused with beef flavoring), but to determine why fries aren't an early morning option at McDonald's, we reached out to the chain. The representative we spoke with confirmed that fries are only served during lunch and dinner hours, but declined to comment on the why of it all. Although we didn't get a direct answer, we did some digging and found that McDonald's addressed a similar query on its website in 2018. 

The restaurant doesn't offer lunch and dinner items during breakfast hours because it would decrease kitchen efficiency. Space and equipment are at a premium in most locations, and there simply aren't enough resources to allow simultaneous preparation of both menus in a way that maintains quality. Schedules vary, but breakfast kicks off when the restaurant opens, or at 5 a.m. in 24-hour locations. When McDonald's breakfast hours end at 10:30 or 11 a.m., lunch service begins, at which point customers can order fries. If you don't know the schedule at your nearest McDonald's, your best bet is to check with the staff. 

Though it was a big hit with fans of the chain, McDonald's all-day breakfast proved to be a real problem for the restaurant's employees. It boils down to the ability to make different types of food at the same time, which is more challenging than one might expect. In addition to a lack of space and equipment, breakfast items require different cooking temperatures than the standard burgers and fries. Switching back and forth between the menus means orders may take longer to complete, and when employees are stressed and rushing, the quality of McDonald's fare is likely to suffer. 

McDonald's suspended all-day breakfast during the COVID-19 pandemic, but the restaurant probably would have ended it anyway. Operational efficiency is crucial to the chain, as it allows McDonald's to provide a consistent experience to consumers. While the majority of the chain's restaurants are franchises, the chain imposes a set of standards and expectations on all franchisees to maintain uniformity across locations. While that business strategy has raked in billions of dollars for the company, it doesn't leave much room for indulgences like French fries for breakfast.