In its sights with new consumers, McDonald’s is betting on organic stores

McDonald’s inaugurated a store built using sustainable practices in Mendoza and plans to remodel another 40 in the country to adapt them to current consumer needs and at the same time reduce the carbon footprint. With 221 stores and 16,000 workers in Argentina, Arcos Dorados, the licensee of the hamburger chain in 20 countries in Latin America, is committed to sustainability to continue to be a star to new generations.

In 2021, Arcos Dorados launched a model of 25 sustainable construction initiatives, promoting conservation and efficient use of water and energy. The purpose of the company is reduce the carbon footprint by 36% by 2030. on that road, Arcos Dorados announces that it will issue its first “green bond”linked to sustainable development goals.

The new place, located next to the Guaymallen bus terminalconnected to Mendoza city center, including innovations such as the recovery of condensation water from air conditioners for irrigation and parking lot cleaning, separation of garbage in the dining room and in warehouses and the use of certified wood furniture. , among other measures.

The store is open 24 hours and employs 160 people. This is the chain’s eighth location in Mendoza, where they employ 580 people. McDonald’s is the main generator of young formal jobs in Argentina.

“With this opening, we continue to strengthen our commitment to the reactivation and growth of the country’s economy and believe in the youth by creating new jobs. This restaurant represents our sustainability pillars outlined in Recipe of the Future ”, said Eduardo Lopardo, general director of Arcos Dorados Argentina.

So far, among the pillars of Recipe of the Future the development of a vegetarian menu is not includedas is the case with other competitors like Burger King and Mostaza, which already have a variety of hamburgers suitable for non -carnivores.

However, Lopardo said that all over the world the company is developing McPlant, a plant-based burger already being tested in Canada and Germany. “Progress is being made and work is being done. The vegetarian hamburger is something to come, although we don’t have a specific date,” Lopardo explains.

Arcos Dorados ’path to sustainability began several years ago. The first step is one of the most difficult: they removed plastic straws, despite resistance and consumer complaints.

“It has been ten years since we opened a new store in Mendoza. This new restaurant is the first in the interior of the country to be part of a new generation of brand stores with unique features to reduce the use of resources and reduce the environmental impact, ”said Luis Zambonini, who runs brand in the province of Mendoza.

Arcos Dorados ’plan was that From now on all McDonald’s locations will be developed and operated in a sustainable manner. And for the 221 stores that already exist, the plan will reorganize them under this standard at the rate of 40 restaurants per year.

Because of the pandemic, McDonald’s stores closed for several months. “2020 is very difficult. Since November the recovery in consumption has been relentless and we are at the pre-pandemic level“said Lopard.

however, uneven recovery: the areas located in the Microcentro and those linked to the cinemas are even lower at the 2019 level.

At the national level, McDonald’s opened its first store in Argentina nearly 36 years ago. Three years ago, Arcos Dorados built Advance in Argentina, the “digital factory” that employs 300 people and designs technological solutions for the entire region.

“The pandemic redirected investments. This digital factory was created and the talent and money was invested to develop the app and its own delivery. It allows us to have data on each client’s preferences and personalize the benefits. ”

“One of the changes we are promoting is the use of technology in the way of buying in stores. Now we have ‘kiosks’, large screens where the customer places his order and pays for it without having to go to the counter” , said Lopard.

AQ