Article

Freshii CEO: Why I called out McDonald’s

Freshii CEO Matthew Corrin explains why he thinks McDonald's would find success by partnering with his brand.

May 14, 2015 by Cherryh Cansler — Editor, FastCasual.com

The industry has been abuzz about the USA Today articlethat recently featured the CEO of Freshii’s challenge to McDonald's to put a mini Freshii inside one of its 14,000 locations.

In an open letter to McDonald's CEO Steve Easterbrook, Matthew Corrin, the 33-year-old CEO and founder of Freshii, dared McDonald's to allow Freshii to operate inside one of the fast-food giant's stores. Corrin promised that within one year that same-store sales at that McDonald's location would jump 30 percent and the store's annual profits would jump $250,000. If not, he would refund the difference.

"I'll assume all the risk to prove my theory that fast food and fresh food can coexist, to the benefit of all," he wrote in the letter.

While Corrin admits that the publicity certainly isn’t hurting his brand, that wasn't his main goal by making the offer. He pointed out that while McDonald's is scrambling for a millennial-friendly play, Freshii has that nailed, which is obvious by the more than 160 units opened in its first 10 years.

"I think about health and wellness all the time," Corrin said. "I wanted to offer McDonald's a solution from a Millennial."

FastCasual.com sat down with Corrin to get a little more insight on his thoughts on the possible partnership.

FastCasual: Why did you decide to call out McDonald's?

Corrin: It goes back to our mission to make healthy eating as convenient and affordable as possible. When we step back, it's quite clear that there are few brands in the world that have a greater supply chain to make food as affordable as possible and as convenient as possible than McDonald's. This was really about "how does Freshii reach its mission?" We recognize that McDonald's footprint and supply chain allow us to do that. At the same time, McDonald's is a fast food giant that has struggled the most in recent times. They're losing millennials. They're losing trust from Wall Street. I view this as a win-win to help citizens of the world live healthier and longer lives while helping McDonald's with their comeback story, which their new CEO has so boldly announced. 

FastCasual: Has McDonald’s responded?

Corrin: Not yet, but we have heard from other fast food chains and a slew of McDonald's customers as well as franchisees who have asked to be the first stores to pilot this concept and test this partnership. 

FastCasual: Will you make this offer to any other fast food chain? Why or Why not?

Corrin: We wrote this letter to McDonald's — not to the fast food industry. If we wanted to offer it to everybody, we would have addressed it to all of the fast food chains.

About Cherryh Cansler

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Cherryh Cansler is VP of Events for Networld Media Group and publisher of FastCasual.com. She has been covering the restaurant industry since 2012. Her byline has appeared in Forbes, The Kansas City Star and American Fitness magazine, among many others.

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