McDonald’s US sales rebound on value meals, but E. coli outbreak could slow that momentum

AP Business Writer

Value meals helped turn around McDonald’s U.S. sales in the third quarter. But that recovery could be dented by an E. coli outbreak tied to the company’s Quarter Pounder hamburgers. McDonald’s said Tuesday that its U.S. same-store sales rose 0.3% in the July-September period. Revenue was also up 3% to $6.87 billion. McDonald’s launched a $5 value meal in late June and it said the value message resonated with consumers. But last week, the company pulled Quarter Pounders off the menu in 3,000 U.S. stores after a federal investigation tied an E. coli outbreak to the burger’s raw onions.