Health

McDonald's to Start Offering Unlimited Fries

April 18th 2016

A new McDonald's in Missouri will give customers a computerized ordering platform, couches, and warm colors — and absolutely no reason to be health conscious whatsoever.

At what the company is calling the McDonald's of the future, customers will be able to gorge on as many fries as they can starting in July, the Street reported. They'll also be able to order hundreds of varieties of customizable burgers and desserts, all without burning any calories by wasting time in line — the franchise will have table service, owner Chris Habiger told Fox6Now, a local Fox affiliate station.

The new location is a franchise, which means it mostly operates independently from the McDonald's corporate mothership. But depending on how the rollout of all-you-can-eat fries goes, it doesn't seem too farfetched for the burger chain to shower Americans with as many fried potato sticks as they want.

The company seems to be coming to terms with its lot in life as a purveyor of strictly bad-for-you food, anyway. Since last summer, the company has been phasing out its wraps, which were an attempt to bait younger, healthier diners, Bloomberg reported last week.

"A lot of people who eat at restaurants aren't interested in health and wellness," Jack Russo, an industry analyst at Edward Jones, told Bloomberg. "You've got to give people what they want."

There's an old adage that comes to mind: If you can't beat 'em, enable 'em.

Asked about the unlimited fries, a McDonald's spokesperson told ATTN: that the promotion was limited to the Missouri restaurant as a celebration of its grand opening. 

Update: 4/18 1:24 p.m. PST: This story was updated to include a response from a McDonald's spokesperson, and to clarify that the burger chain began phasing out wraps last summer.

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