It seems that McDonald’s is no longer lovin’ it – the fast food chain has filed to register a trademark for a new slogan geared toward simplicity.

Earlier this month, McDonald’s submitted its application for trademarking the slogan “The Simpler the Better” to the U.S. Trademark and Patent Office. The tagline appears to echo its efforts to streamline its menu and restructure, following years of business decline.

The company remains mum on the details.

“We routinely file intent-to-use trademark applications as part of our regular course of business. We can’t share details at this time as to how this trademark may or may not be used,” a McDonald’s spokesperson told BurgerBusiness.com.

In the last year, the global chain continued to tweak its operations in the name of simplicity, as aligned with CEO Steve Easterbrook’s vision of a “modern, progressive burger company.” It started May last year when he reorganized the global business structure into four areas, as well as promoted operational simplifications inside the stores.

The CEO broached plans of selling more stores to franchisees than originally intended, as well as slash costs by $300 million every year. In the name of focusing on fewer things “with more material impact globally,” McDonald’s also managed to close hundreds of underperforming branches worldwide.

Menu simplification is another ongoing effort for the chain.

In late 2014, McDonald’s sold 121 items on the menu or 75 percent more than it offered a decade earlier. This menu is believed to have slowed service and confused its market, thus an initiative to cut back in 2015. Now, one will no longer find some items on the menu, including the Angus burger line and the Quarter Pounder with Cheese’s upscale versions.

McDonald’s, however, now offers All-Day Breakfast, which complicate – not streamline – operations but actually boost sales: U.S. same-store sales rose 5.7 percent in the last quarter of 2015, the biggest jump in four years.

And while there are menu experiments that don’t really pair well with its overarching goals, including the introduction of the Chicken McGriddle and an “artisan” chicken sandwich, McDonald’s is seen to be simplifying where it can.

Now it is testing “Signature Crafted Recipes,” a more clear-cut version of the Create Your Taste customization platform, and launching table service in San Diego.

Photo: Mike Mozart | Flickr

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