Chocolate-Covered French Fries Anyone?

Fast-food chain McDonald’s is adding french fries drizzled with chocolate sauce to its menu in Japan. The new item is called McChoco Potato. The fast-food appetizer consists of McDonald’s famous fries drizzled with brown and white chocolate syrup. A portion of the potatoes and chocolate cost 330 yen, which is around $3. The chocolate fries are McDonald's Japan’s attempt to reverse poor sales. According to the Japan Times, McDonald's Japan reported an annual loss of over 34 billion yen, or nearly $300 million, last year. “Undoubtedly, 2015 was the most challenging year we have faced in our 45-year history,” said McDonald's Japan president Sarah Casanova. U.S.-based McDonald’s opened its first restaurant in Tokyo in 1971. In the past few years, McDonald’s Japan closed hundreds of the restaurants known for its golden arches. Because of the McChoco Potato, customer sales increased in January for the first time in a number of years. “The chocolate fries have been extremely popular with customers, and actually not just customers in Japan,” said Casanova. The chocolate-covered french fries debuted January 26. They are available at Japan’s McDonald's for a limited time. I’m Jim Dresbach.   Jim Dresbach wrote this story for VOA Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or visit our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   drizzle – v. to pour a small amount of liquid onto or over something menu – n. a list of the foods that may be ordered at a restaurant appetizer – n. a small dish of food served before the main part of a meal syrup – n. a sweet, thick liquid made of sugar and water with flavoring added to it yen – n. the basic unit of money of Japan debuted – v. to appear in public for the first time

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