Gourmet Chef’s Mission: Beef Up McDonald’s Sales

He’s the Sultan of Fast Food, a chef Deluxe.

McDonald’s might be a mecca for millions of Americans, but the pilgrimage of food to its restaurants begins here in the test kitchens of Andrew Selvaggio.

After nearly two years in development, McDonald’s top chef served up three new sandwiches recently to complement the recently introduced Arch Deluxe cheeseburger.

The new Crispy Chicken Deluxe, a fried chicken-breast sandwich; Grilled Chicken Deluxe, a marinated chicken-breast sandwich; and Fish Filet Deluxe are all aimed at reviving McDonald’s sales to adults.

Some call it fast food; Selvaggio calls it “cuisine.”

“Cuisine is the essence of all dining whether it’s quick service dining to high end to spaghetti and meatballs,” he says. “I want people to realize we’re not a factory, we’re a restaurant.”

Selvaggio, 38, was head chef at Chicago’s legendary Pump Room for four years. Before that, he was named one of America’s outstanding young chefs for his creations at Steven restaurant in Scottsdale, Ariz.

But Selvaggio knows burgers and fries. He grilled his first burger at age 7, learned the trade at the family’s snack shop and later moved to breakfast foods at Dorkie’s, his family’s restaurant in McHenry, Ill., and apprenticeships at French and Italian restaurants.

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Chosen over 12 other chefs, he was given responsibility in 1994 for creating new McDonald’s concoctions.

Why the switch from quail eggs to Big Mac and fries?

“Not only is it fun to be a chef, but I have the opportunity to change the direction of American tastes,” he says. “We put a lot of focus and attention to detail in all our food, and I personally put the same emphasis in creating a McDonald’s product as I would do if I was at the Pump Room or any of the other fine dining restaurants I worked in.”

Selvaggio, or Chef Andrew as he’s called at company headquarters, also has millions of dollars to play with and a world to explore in looking for new tastes.

The new sandwiches--updated versions of previous menu offerings--feature such items as potato-flour buns, Japanese bread crumbs and Alaskan pollock. Shark, tuna, and crab missed the cut as fish choices. More than 50 different marinades were tested and discarded for the grilled chicken before charcoal seasoning became the choice.

Prices of the sandwiches will vary from market to market to be competitive with offerings from other chains, McDonald’s spokeswoman Terri Capatosto said.

McDonald’s officials declined to reveal production costs for the sandwiches. Analysts believe the Arch Deluxe cheeseburger with bacon, lettuce and tomato cost between $100 million and $200 million to develop.

McDonald’s is spending one-fifth of its marketing budget to push the burger, according to Michael R. Quinlan, McDonald’s chairman and chief executive.

Selvaggio still faces a formidable task: how to distinguish the Deluxe line from similar offerings from competitors.

An Associated Press reporter and photographer tested the sandwiches; the lower-fat Grilled Chicken Deluxe was juicy and flavorful, as was the Crispy Chicken Deluxe. The fish sandwich was heavy on the tartar sauce.

McDonald’s is seeking to improve domestic sales. Sales at stores open at least a year have been lower for five consecutive quarters, while some McDonald’s competitors, particularly Wendy’s, have seen sizzling increases with new menu introductions.

Wall Street analysts are divided on the wisdom of introducing a series of new sandwiches when the success of Arch Deluxe is in doubt.

Edward Rensi, president and chief executive of McDonald’s USA, recently told the company’s 2,700 U.S. franchisees in a memo that the Arch Deluxe has done well but was “never intended to be a silver bullet.”

Rensi said the new Deluxe line sandwiches “performed extraordinarily well” in two test markets and would have been out earlier were it not for a need “to build up product lines for the poultry and buns.”

He declined to comment on whether same-store sales are showing improvement in the third quarter. “We’re more interested in total sales,” he said. “We’re always more concerned with growing market share.”

McDonald’s has long been the industry leader.