McDonald's Japan says 'Aloha!' to new Hawaiian menu

Why is 海角大神 Science in our name?

Our name is about honesty. The Monitor is owned by The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and we鈥檝e always been transparent about that.

The church publishes the Monitor because it sees good journalism as vital to progress in the world. Since 1908, we鈥檝e aimed 鈥渢o injure no man, but to bless all mankind,鈥� as our founder, Mary Baker Eddy, put it.

Here, you鈥檒l find award-winning journalism not driven by commercial influences 鈥� a news organization that takes seriously its mission to uplift the world by seeking solutions and finding reasons for credible hope.

Explore values journalism About us

The Bite

McDonald's Japan says 'Aloha!' to new Hawaiian menu

McDonald's Japan will introduce a new Hawaiian-influenced menu as part of a World Mac promotion after reporting plunging sales. The Hawaiian Pork Burger and the Loco Moco Burger will make their way onto the McDonald's menu next week.

Toru Hanai/Reuters/File

A man uses a mobile phone in front of a McDonald's restaurant in Tokyo February 5, 2015. McDonald's Japan is introducing a new Hawaii-influenced

By Scott Hume

Feb. 06, 2015, 6:00 p.m. ET

What do you do when same-store sales plunge 38.6% in a month? You cue the Don Ho music and go to Hawaii.

McDonald鈥檚 Holding Co. (Japan) Ltd. is having a tough time. This week it reported a net $186 million loss for 2014, its聽聽in 11 years, the result of revelations in July that it bought expired meat. For January it announced the 38.6% crash in comp sales following multiple reports of contaminated food (including a tooth found in fries).

Hoping the brighten the mood, the chain next week introduces a new Hawaiian-influenced menu as part of a World Mac promotion. Joining the menu Feb. 10 is a聽Hawaiian Barbecue Pork burger聽(at l.), with a pork patty topped with four-hour-slow-cooked pulled pork, coleslaw and pickles.

Loco Moco is a Hawaiian favorite, usually made with white rice, a burger patty, fried egg and brown gravy. McDonald鈥檚 version for the Japanese menu, the聽Loco Moco Burger聽(at r.), has two burger patties, a cooked egg, lettuce and gravy sauce. Completing the special menu are berry-topped pancakes, a pineapple pie and McShake Banana.