McDonald's Is Suspending Its All Day Breakfast Menu

From shuttered restaurants to waived delivery fees, major fast food chains are rapidly changing the ways they serve us in response to the COVID-19, or new coronavirus, pandemic. For McDonald's, the impacts of the outbreak and our new, socially distanced reality have now reached its menu. 

Late on Wednesday, the fast food behemoth said it's going so far as temporarily phasing out its famous All Day Breakfast Menu in an effort to streamline offerings at its nearly 14,000 locations across the United States. You'll no longer be able to get a McMuffin for lunch or grab a McGriddle for a sweet and savory dinner. At least for now.

“We know people depend on their local McDonald’s, and we are committed to continue doing our part to help our customers get through this pandemic," Bill Garrett, SVP of Operations at McDonald’s USA, said in a statement. "To simplify operations in our kitchens and for our crew, and ensure the best possible experience for our customers, we are working with our franchisees and local restaurants to focus on serving our most popular choices and will begin temporarily removing some items from the menu over the next few weeks. We will regularly evaluate the situation and look to move back to our regular menu as soon as possible."

When reached by Thrillist, a McDonald's spokesperson wouldn't say whether the chain plans to remove additional menu items beyond the All Day Breakfast lineup or how long the company anticipates the menu changes will last. Joe Erlinger, president of McDonald's USA, however, managed to make a Terminator joke about the news.

This isn't the first time McDonald's has tinkered with its All Day Breakfast menu since launching it nationwide in late 2015. Just last spring, the company appeared to rein it in a bit by allowing local restaurant franchisees to determine which breakfast options they'd like to serve throughout the day and when. 

Most McDonald's locations in the US remain open as of March 26, but have pivoted to only offering food via the drive-thru, takeout, or delivery. In fact, the chain is offering free delivery through Uber Eats and DoorDash through April 6. So maybe get a Sausage McMuffin With Egg for lunch while you still can. 

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