Why the McWrap Is So Important to McDonald's

http://www.businessweek.com/printer/articles/132030-why-the-mcwrap-is-so-important-to-mcdonalds

After lengthy discussions with produce suppliers around the country, Coudreaut managed to add one new ingredient to the McDonald’s arsenal: the English cucumber. That might not seem like a big change, but when the chain added sliced apples to its menu, it immediately became one of the largest buyers of apples in the country. The company had to build up reserves of edamame before it introduced its Asian salad. Coudreaut would like to add guacamole one day. Who knows what that would do to the avocado supply?

For cucumbers, McDonald’s went to Taylor Farms and Fresh Express, a producer and distributor owned by Chiquita. Then it had to figure out how the vegetable could be sliced, evenly, before it reached the restaurants. The chain expects to use about 6 million pounds this year. McDonald’s also tested the size of the chicken breast and the amount of lettuce. Initially, the sandwich was made with a half-breast of chicken and loads of produce. “We talked a lot about the veggies,” says Leslie Truelove, director of marketing in the U.S. “But we went too far. People thought it was a salad.” People wanted more meat. Now the wrap has a full breast of chicken, a handful of shredded lettuce, 10 leaves of spring mix, two cucumber slices, and two tomato slices—no more, no less.