McDonald’s to invest more than $100 million in restaurants after E. coli outbreak
McDonald’s says it will invest more than $100 in its brand to boost restaurant sales following last month’s outbreak of E. coli tied to slivered onions on its Quarter Pounders.
CNBC reports $65 million of those funds will be invested into supporting owners who have lost business, targeting those in the hardest-hit states. Approximately $35 million will be invested in marketing efforts. Among those efforts will be “local recovery plans for highly impacted markets.”
According to multiple reports, the fast-food giant sent a memo to company employees and store owners saying it would give more details about the recovery plans in the coming weeks.
In October, McDonald’s temporarily removed the Quarter Pounder burgers from roughly 3,000 locations following the E. coli outbreak. Earlier this month, McDonalds returned the burgers with slivered onions to restaurant menus nationwide, reports CNBC.
On October 22, California-based food manufacturer Taylor Farms initiated a voluntary recall of yellow onions sent to McDonald’s and other food service customers, according to the FDA.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said is still investigating the E. coli outbreak. As of Nov. 13, the agency has recorded 104 cases in 14 states including 34 hospitalizations and one death.