The reason you can’t get onion rings at McDonald’s

Almost from the moment McDonald’s first opened their doors, their french fries have been considered some of the best you can get in the world of fast food. So much so that other chains have spent years and millions of dollars trying to make their fries more like the Golden Arches.

Of course, the other way to compete has always been to offer another option. That is exactly what Burger King did when they started selling onion rings alongside their fries. I mean, onion rings are almost as ubiquitous as french fries when it comes to burgers, so it makes perfect sense.

So much so that would think McDonald’s would want to get into the onion ring business themselves. But except for a brief foray into selling onion nuggets in the 1970s, it’s something they have never actively tested or pursued.

And the reasons why may come as a bit of a surprise to some fans of Ronald McDonald.

McDonald’s doesn’t sell onion rings mostly because of economic reasons.

The reason McDonald’s doesn’t sell onion rings comes down to two related factors. One is economics and the other is keeping things simple for both workers and customers.

It is a reality that the profit margins in any kind of food business are incredibly thin, even the fast food business. So in order for McDonald’s to keep making money and to keep prices low, they need to offer food that is inexpensive and simple to prepare. Roughly translated that means cheap and easy to make.

The bottom line is that french fries are just easier to make and cost way less money to offer then onion rings. The profit margin on them is bigger and it makes things less confusing for the folks that work there.

And confusion also plays into why they don’t sell onion rings on the consumer side as well. As you may have noticed, McDonald’s keeps their menu pretty lean and mean. This is a conscious decision on their part because fewer items means fewer choices for you but it also means faster service.

And since it’s called “fast food” they was to try and get you in and out, whether that be in the store or the drive-thru, as quickly as possible. By keeping your side order selection to essentially just fries, it expedites the whole process of getting you your food.

So the next time you go to McDonald’s and they ask “You want fries with that?” you now know why they don’t say “You want onion rings with that?”

What do you think Guilty Eats Nation? Would you buy onion rings if you could at McDonald’s? Leave a comment below and let us know or join the conversation on our Facebook and Twitter pages.