McDonald's to serve breakfast all day

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McDonald's Corporation photo

You will soon be able to order an Egg McMuffin any time of day. McDonald's restaurants on October 6, 2015, will begin offering breakfast all day, the fast food company confirmed on Twitter. In a series of Tweets aimed at both celebrities and civilians, the chain posted GIFs announcing the expansion of what was a limited pilot program nationwide.

Items like Egg McMuffins, hotcakes, sausage burritos, fruit 'n yogurt parfaits, hash browns and biscuits will be available anytime, although the exact menu will vary in different markets. The company said core items like the Big Mac, McNuggets and fries will still be available at all of its locations.

The Oak Brook, Illinois-based company has been testing an all-day breakfast menu in San Diego for months. It has been looking for a boost, as sales at established U.S. stores have fallen for seven straight quarters and the company hasn't replaced its Dollar Menu with anything equally compelling.

McDonald's is also working to improve its food by toasting buns longer and searing burgers to improve taste, and it's looking for a way to shake up its image.

Here is one tweet directed at comedian Sinbad:

 

McDonald's plans to close about 700 stores this year and will shut down more stores than it opens in the U.S., something it hasn't done since at least 1970 and possibly in its entire corporate history. The company is reorganizing so it can respond more quickly to trends, cutting costs, and has eliminated a few hundred corporate jobs.

Mike Andres, president of McDonald's U.S. acknowledged the company has struggled with an overcomplicated menu, and that restaurants would remove some items to make room for the breakfast offerings throughout the day. Core menu items such as Big Macs will remain national. But in Nashville, for instance, restaurants remove all McWraps and the Clubhouse burger. The items that are removed will vary by region.

In test markets, Andres said customer visits increased.

"We're very excited — we think this could be the next big thing," Andres said.

With the Associated Press