It used to be that Wi-Fi hotspots were limited to airports and coffee houses. Those were the locations wireless carriers deemed the most people would be interested in using the Internet outside of their homes and offices. Over the last couple of years, though, restaurants have gotten in on the action. It stands to reason that if someone can bring a laptop to a fairly comfortable place, if Internet is available, they’ll stay longer than they would without Internet access. The longer they stay, the more likely they are to buy food and beverages. Several chain restaurants such as IHOP, Atlanta Bread Company, and Panera Bread have already been offering free Wi-Fi for quite a while. Several McDonald’s locations around the country also offered free access, but the majority required payment for limited access. Starting next year, McDonald’s will lift that fee.
McDonald’s isn’t doing so well right now. The release of documentaries like Supersize Me haven’t helped the fast food image. Most fast food establishments have added “healthy” items such as salads and low fat sandwiches, but the stigma is still there. Eat fast food, get fat. Their stock has been on a pretty steady decline lately. In addition, in any economic downturn, restaurants suffer. People try to save money by eating at home more often. To combat this mentality, fast food restaurants have been adding dollar menus like crazy, trying to bring customers in with the promise of inexpensive meals they don’t have to cook themselves.
No restaurants has done this better in the last couple of years than Subway. Their five dollar footlong campaign started with a couple of innovative franchisees in Florida, and once corporate representatives saw how successeful it was locally, they turned it into a nationwide phenomenon. The rationale many customers use to take advantage of this deal is that one footlong sandwich can be split into two meals for just five bucks. Customers see a lot of value in that, as evidenced by the tremendous success Subway has seen with this offer.
In fact, Subway is poised to surpass McDonald’s in the number of worldwide locations early next year. It’s partly due to the successful footlong offer, and the higher number of healthy—at least, healthier—menu options the sandwich restaurant offers over the burger chain.
So how can McDonald’s sweeten the deal? It’s a little late in the game for them to change their menu. McDonald’s has been known for its burgers since it was founded in 1940. And they’ve already crammed as may items onto their dollar menu as they possibly can. The best way to bring in customers now is to offer free Internet, and that’s just what the company is doing.
McDonald’s has been earning a reputation as a coffee house since it improved its standard brewed coffee, and began offering coffee drinks like lattes and iced concoctions. The company hopes to capitalize on that reputation and keep coffee drinkers lingering longer with free Wi-Fi. The burger giant has teamed up with AT&T to offer the service.
It’s not clear how the free Wi-Fi will be paid for, although it’s logical to assume McDonald’s will be footing the bill, unless AT&T is kicking in a portion, which I highly doubt. With as much money as McDonald’s has lost of late, it seems like a risky endeavor. For now, next time you get a craving for a Big Mac, take your laptop or smartphone with you and enjoy the free Internet.
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