McCooking

John Cloud reports on McDonald's test kitchen:

[G]reat manufacturing company runs a crazy R&D department, a place where mad scientists get to fiddle with toys and produce one or two breakthroughs a year. Coudreaut and his staff of 16 consider approximately 1,800 ideas for new menu items each year, but only a couple or in an atypical year, as many as five make it onto the menu. Few stay permanently.