Ever wonder why McDonald’s doesn’t offer hash browns and fries all day anymore?
According to former McDonald’s corporate chef Mike Haracz (@chefmikeharacz), the decision isn’t random—it actually comes down to the logistics of running a smooth operation.
In one of his most recent TikTok videos, which has garnered over 18,000 views so far, he responds to a user’s question and explains why McDonald’s made the change.
Why doesn’t McDonald’s do hash browns and fries ‘like they used to’?
Balancing different products requires specific training and extra staff, and, according to Haracz, McDonald’s discovered it was hard to maintain quality while keeping up with the increased demand.
“There was all-day breakfast for a while,” Haracz explains. “But then they realized that the training, the amount of crew that they would have needed… was way too difficult. You needed too many people.”
Beyond staffing, the chef claims there’s also a frying issue.
“The fries and the hash browns are fried in the same fryer,” he says, but with an important difference. “The gold standard… there is a different temperature for the oil.”
While it is technically possible to make hash browns and fries in the same oil, the chef mentions it wouldn’t meet McDonald’s “gold standard” for quality.
On top of that, hash browns take up space in the heat lamps that are typically dedicated to fries. “The amount of fries… you would have less real estate because you also need to put hash browns in there.”
Finally, McDonald’s aims to make operations as efficient as possible, knowing customers are likely to order what’s available.
“McDonald’s doesn’t want to give you what you want,” he adds, “they want to make everything as operationally easy as possible, knowing that you would still go there anyway.”
In short, based on the all-day availability of hash browns and fries is “just too difficult” to manage without impacting the experience.
Can the chef’s claims be verified?
According to an X (formerly Twitter) comment from the official McDonald’s account, the fast food giant removed all-day breakfast from their menu back in 2020.
“We initially removed All Day Breakfast from the menu to simplify operations in our kitchens, which we saw provided better speed of service and order accuracy for our customers,” the restaurant wrote. “We’re evaluating if and how we will bring All Day Breakfast back to our menus.”
For those craving hash browns and other breakfast items, McDonald’s notes that breakfast hours can vary by location. Generally, though, breakfast is served from opening until around 10:30 or 11:00 a.m.
Viewers aren’t happy with the change
In the comments, some users had other theories on why McDonald’s removed all-day breakfast. Others expressed disappointment over the change.
“I stopped going to McDonalds when they got rid of all day breakfast,” shared one user. “Have ate there maybe 2 times since. Was a weekly customer before.:
“I miss all day hashbrowns,” exclaimed another.
@chefmikeharacz Replying to @spaceagefox Former #mcdonalds corporate chef answers some #frenchfry question. #mcdonaldssecrets #mcdonaldsccsing #fastfoodstories #fastfoodlife #fastfood #foodtiktok #foodtok #McDonaldsTikTok #fyp #mcdonaldschallenge #mcdonaldshacks #frenchfries #fries🍟 #fries ♬ original sound – Chef Mike Haracz
“They could do it if they really wanted to,” remarked a third. “They are too big of a company to not make this work. I think their franchisees don’t want to adopt it.”
The Daily Dot has reached out to both Haracz and McDonald’s via email for comment.
Update 9:20am CT, Nov. 11: In an email exchange with the Daily Dot, Chef Mike Haracz shared more insights on the challenges of managing McDonald’s all-day breakfast and why it was eventually phased out.
When asked about the biggest challenge in offering all-day breakfast, Haracz explained that it created significant operational difficulties.
“Having all-day breakfast means the restaurant needs to manage double the amount of menu items during lunch and dinner, while having no additional space in the kitchen to do so,” the chef wrote. “There’s also only a certain amount of staff the restaurant is willing to have at any given time, making it extra complex to execute at high standards.”
On whether McDonald’s might bring back all-day breakfast in a way that wouldn’t overwhelm staff or affect quality, Haracz was skeptical.
“I don’t believe there is any discussion of bringing all-day breakfast back to the menu, unless they choose to do a very limited-time offer for a short period,” he wrote.
As for how much influence customer preferences have on decisions like these, Haracz thinks profit and simplicity take priority.
“McDonald’s main focus at this time is maximum profits and ease of operational complexity in the kitchen,” he remarked.
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