McDonald's Struggling to Find Right Build-Your-Own Program

OAK BROOK, Ill. — McDonald's Corp. is renaming its build-your-own sandwich program, formerly known as TasteCrafted, to Chef Crafted in an effort to improve consumer response, reported Bloomberg Business. It is also replacing the hot jalapeño and deluxe varieties with maple bacon dijon and buffalo bacon.

Chef Crafted sandwiches are chef-inspired recipes that customers can customize with their choice of beef or chicken and their favorite bun, according to the company's website.

"The original name 'TasteCrafted' did not resonate with consumers," stated Lisa McComb, a McDonald's spokeswoman. "We decided to celebrate our chefs who have created these recipes and highlight the culinary expertise of our in-house and supplier chefs."

The new Chef Crafted bacon dijon sandwich is topped with maple bacon, grilled onions, honey dijon sauce, white cheddar and lettuce, while the buffalo bacon sandwich is topped with blue cheese sauce and crumbles, buffalo sauce, smoked bacon, tomato and lettuce.

Chef Crafted marks the company's third attempt at a build-your-own sandwich program and exists alongside the Create Your Taste program, which lets customers use touchscreen kiosks to select toppings for their sandwiches.

Chef Crafted is currently being tested at approximately 200 restaurants and will be expanded later this year, while a few locations are still testing TasteCrafted, according to McComb.

These customization programs come as McDonald's continues to cope with flagging sales. U.S. same-store sales decreased 2 percent during its most recent quarter, according to the fast-food chain's earnings report.