McDonald’s franchise owners are expressing concern and frustration over a new grading system the fast food giant is planning to roll out early next year, with some saying it is poor timing due to unprecedented pressures in the workforce.
The company plans to enact the system, called Operations PACE, which stands for Performance and Customer Excellence, in January 2023. McDonald’s notes its “business climate is changing” in a 60-page overview of the PACE system, which was viewed by CNBC, and says it needs a “new approach that supports achieving our growth plan objectives.”
Some franchisees, however, are worried the new process will instead harm operations and alienate workers in a tight labor market. The program calls for between six and 10 visits a year from company and third-party assessors per location, layered on top of other inspections for things such as local food safety regulations. McDonald’s has about 13,000 franchised…
