This is not your father's 'all-day breakfast'

McDonald's

By now you've heard that fast-food giant McDonald's is offering up all-day breakfasts. Certainly 'Mickey D's' didn't come up with the 'Breakfast for Dinner' concept. That idea has been around for ages with the ever-reliable International House of Pancakes, the incredibly greasy spoon Denny's and plenty of other haunts that are committed to serving up pancakes and eggs anytime you crave them. It's obvious that our society went 24/7 years ago so it's no surprise that our days and nights became mixed up as a result of this culinary shift.

Still, what's  the huge deal with McDonald's getting in on the 'Breakfast for Dinner' act (really, they want to call it the 'all-day menu)? Apparently with so much competition out there, McDonald's is doing what it takes to be at the top of their game. The company even admitted that they lost their 'mojo' in recent years. So, will McDonald's new idea work? In my estimation, the strategy will bump up McDonald's sales for a few months, but business will probably level off in the future - or I could be totally wrong.

I don't  blame fast-food chains like McDonald's coming up with a gimmick to increase sales. Speaking of gimmicks, close McDonald's competitor Burger King has been offering black buns in honor of Halloween. According to some sources, some Burger King black bun consumers are having a tough time digesting these buns. Is that true? I would hardly know since I rarely eat at Burger King or never consume black buns. Whether those black buns went down well or not for some folks, Burger King to people talking so that drew publicity for them which may or may not work in their favor.

Gimmicks are nothing new to McDonald's or Burger King. The chicken fries currently being offered over at Burger King created a cute ad campaign featuring anthropomorphic fowl. Actually to some, those commercials are annoying, but not nearly as annoying as the Arby's ads. The "We've Got the Meats" people have been aggressively marketing themselves on television for at least the past two years with the Ving Rhames-voiced commercials.

Arby's has switched it up with their sandwich offerings as well as McDonald's which brings back the McRib sandwiches on occasion. If McDonald's wishes to re-visit something, how about bringing back the McDLT? For those too young to know, the McDLT came in a container that sequestered the hot part of the sandwich in one compartment and the cold part including the bun and toppings in another compartment. What stuck with the chain is the McNugget which millions were fascinated with in the 1980s.

With changes in our culture, fast-food chains like McDonald's, Burger King, KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell have to do what it takes to compete in the face of places like Starbuck's which not only offers designer coffees, but plenty of quick food options as well. Starbuck's along with healthier fare restaurants including Panera certainly dig into the traditional fast-food chains.  To me, the traditional outlets are answering with food that turns out to be something a child concocted like Pizza Hut's hot dog crusts or KFC's mashed potato bowl.

Will 'Breakfast for Dinner' become a winner for 'Mickey D's' and stick around like the McNuggets? Only time will tell.