Greg Solomon, CEO of McDonald’s South Africa, certainly lives the brand. At the recent annual Hendrik van der Bijl memorial lecture, Salomon gave insight into his eating habits, writes the Daily Investor.

The event took place at the University of Pretoria (UP) and was organized by the South African Academy of Engineering. In partnership with the UP Faculty of Engineering, they invited Solomon to share his experiences as a business leader and engineer.

“I eat McDonald’s food about five times a week,” said Solomon, who has run McDonald’s SA since 2009.

“I eat a lot of their breakfasts and drink a lot of their coffee. I am a big user of McCafé.

Solomon emphasized his commitment to understanding health impacts of the food he sold, given his training as an engineer.

“I have spoken to many groups of doctors. Sometimes it’s about knowing what you eat.

“The best thing we can tell our customers is how many calories they consume when they eat a Big Mac.”

McDonald’s stance on vegetarian and vegan options

Asked about McDonald’s stance on plant-based food options, Solomon acknowledged interest from younger consumers.

He noted that vegetarian and plant-based options currently only make up about 1 to 2 percent of McDonald’s business.

However, he recognizes that plant-based alternatives are important for the company’s image and wants to pursue these options.

Despite the growing trends, Solomon remains dedicated to traditional McDonald’s menu items like Big Macs, fries and milkshakes.

“We are a burger company with beef and chicken. This is what we want to focus on.

Under the leadership of Solomon, fast food franchise expands at almost 400 sites across South Africa and employs more than 15,000 people.

He went on to explain that although McDonald’s is well positioned, the competitive landscape for fast food is changing.

Their biggest challenge comes not from KFC or Burger King, but rather from small businesses run by entrepreneurs.

Is it possible to eat fast food AND stay healthy?

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