McDonalds does European makeover

LONDON, Aug. 25 (UPI) -- More than $825 million in renovations and regional menu adjustments in McDonald's restaurants in Europe have more than doubled sales this year.

The European division said in the first half of this year, combined sales at 6,400 restaurants rose 15 percent to $4.1 billion, compared with a 6 percent increase in the United States, where McDonald’s has 13,800 restaurants and sales totaled $3.9 billion, a New York Times correspondent reported from London.

The chain serves more than 10 million customers a day in Europe, which contributes 36 percent to the company’s operating income, and Europe is the second-most profitable region, after the United States.

Among the changes it has made is replacing bolted-down plastic furniture with designer dark leather moveable chairs, and a food factory in Munich is developing new menus for the different tastes in the 41 European countries, the Times said.

The chain is also adding services like Internet access and rental iPods in a bid to woo a younger clientele, the report said.