McDonald's Tests Entree Salads In Europe

Salads helped reverse McDonald's sales momentum in the U.S., and now the burger giant is hoping they can do the same thing in Europe.

McDonald's is testing entree salads in the U.K. and Germany and may introduce them across the entire European market next year, the company said yesterday.

The salads are similar in size and weight to those introduced earlier this year in the U.S., with some minor adjustments.

European customers will see different kinds of lettuce and cheese to satisfy their tastes, said Russ Smyth, president of McDonald's Europe. He didn't elaborate.

German stores began offering the salads in July and, helped by dedicated marketing support, saw some immediate sales improvement, Smyth said.

"We're very happy with the early results," he told analysts. "They drove us to accelerate this salad test initiative across more countries."

McDonald's comparable store sales across Europe were flat in the third quarter.