SoraNews24 —Japan News—

Bringing you yesterday's news from Japan and Asia, today.

TOP

» Japan
» McDonald’s Japan unleashes final appeal of 2015 to disgruntled fan base: Fancy cakes!

Featured

Weird
Studio Ghibli
Jobs

McDonald’s Japan unleashes final appeal of 2015 to disgruntled fan base: Fancy cakes!

Master Blaster Dec 22, 2015
Tweet

The beleaguered fast-food giant wants everyone in Japan to know that it is now your one-stop spot for decadent Viennese Sachertortes and delectable Chocolat Zuccotto.

The year 2015 has not been kind to McDonald’s Japan. Month after the month the company has been hemorrhaging revenue and closing up shops across the country. Ever since being involved in a tainted meat scandal the previous year, public sentiment hasn’t seemed to change in any significant fashion.

It’s not for lack of trying on the part of McDonald’s either. While some speculate that a more sincere apology at the outset of the chicken scandal would have avoided this situation to begin with, McDonald’s has decided to dig in their heels and win over hearts with more service and enticing products rather than tears and kowtowing.

The fruits of their labor has been a mixed bag containing some really good ideas like McNugget buckets and anko pies. However, there were also several baffling moves such as reinstating free smiles, complaints apps, making the price of a double cheeseburger higher than that of two single cheeseburgers, and a promotion that gave away free burgers to people who have names that don’t actually exist.

History has yet to decide where this next move will fall. Two new fancy cakes will be served through McDonald’s relatively high-end coffee corner McCafe by Barista available in select stores.

From this month joining the ranks of Double Berry Cake and Banana-Flavored Milk Cake are Sachertortes and Chocolat Zuccotto.

The Chocolat Zuccotto is an Italian dessert which consists of a mixture of almonds and chocolate chips in cream all encased in chocolate sponge cake dome. It will become a part of the permanent menu for 320 yen (US$2.64).

The Sachertorte is an Austrian cake known for its deep chocolate flavor which in McDonald’s case are layers of chocolate sponge cake soaked with chocolate sauce and all coated in a dark chocolate icing. Unlike the Zuccotto, this is a limited time item, available only until around mid-January 2016 for 360 yen ($2.97).

Early response to the new cakes online has been quite good with many applauding McDonald’s ability to balance quality and price.

“This quality at this price… Awesome!”
“The Sachertorte was the most strongly delicious.”
“The McCafe new cake Chocolat Zuccotto is freaking good.”
“The nuts [in the Chocolat Zuccotto] sets the deliciousness apart from other cakes.”

Of course, despite the high praise these cakes have received, it hasn’t changed peoples’ minds about the fast food chain overnight. There were plenty of dissenting opinions such as: “The Sachertorte is just good enough to say ‘Eh, at this price why not?'” with many asking the quintessential question: “Where the hell are those McCafe by Barista shops anyway?”

McDonald’s Japan still has a long road ahead of it to reverse its fortunes, but at least it can ride out the remainder of this rough year with a little bit of positive feedback. Who knows what’s in store both for or from the Golden Arches in 2016?

Source: McDonald’s, J-Cast Trend, Hachima Kiko (Japanese)