LONDON, Jan. 7 (UPI) -- British fast-food restaurant patrons eat more McDonald's burgers now than at any time since the chain brought its Golden Arches to Britain 34 years ago.
McDonald's reports it's wooing back customers who fled after negative publicity about the fat content of the restaurant's food several years ago, The Times of London reported Monday. Last month alone, the Golden Arches had more than 88 million visits.
The negative publicity surrounding the fast-food giant was highlighted by Morgan Spurlock's documentary "Super Size Me," in which he ate nothing but McDonald's food for 30 days and gained an alarming amount of weight.
"The business had stalled. We weren't reacting to the signals we were getting," Steve Easterbrook, chief executive of McDonald's UK, told the newspaper about the downturn. "This is one of our strongest years for 20 years, and we feel pretty confident about the momentum we have built up."
To reflect changing British tastes in food, the McDonald's menu incorporated smoothies, porridge and chicken wraps during the last four years. However, its staples -- burgers, fries and ice creams -- account for about 90 percent of all sales, the Times reported.
