DESPITE the global economic slowdown, McDonald’s outlets in the country are experiencing positive growth and increasing sales.

This was disclosed by George Tan Yang, chairman of Golden Arches Development Corp., which brought the international fast food chain brand to the Philippines in 1981.

Yang told a press conference last week that McDonald’s accommodated a growing number of customers who used to dine in sit-down casual restaurants.

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Yang, however, declined to give growth figures for McDonald’s Philippines.

Golden Arches is the Philippine franchisee of American fast food chain McDonald’s. There are about 300 McDonald’s outlets in the country. The company is eyeing to build around 15 more this year.

“We have not really experienced any downturn. We are experiencing growth in crisis as some sit-down restaurants are experiencing a decline (in sales and visitors).

Overall, we have positive growth,” said Yang, who was one of the featured entrepreneurs in the recently-concluded Meet the Business Icons organized by the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry for the Cebu Business Month.

The global financial crisis, Yang observed, has made consumers prudent and caused them shift to fast food.

Still, he said, Golden Arches continues to maintain the quality of food and services of all McDonald’s outlets in the country to ensure customer satisfaction.

Yang said that with the continued growth in sales, getting investors to build more McDonald’s outlets in the country would not be a problem. He admitted, though, that the problem may be in finding suitable sites for the new outlets.

Asked for his advice to existing and would-be entrepreneurs amid the crisis, Yang said: “Go back to the basics. Serve your customers the right way and give them the best products and services. Be consistent with your service. Wait and better days will come.”