In many, many ways, I take after my mother. One such way is that we are both Cyclical Eaters. If asked, my mother will humorously describe what she refers to as the “Summer of the B.E.L.T. (Bacon, Egg, Lettuce, and Tomato sandwich)” or the “Only Oatmeal Phase.” Both were times when she ate almost exclusively the foods for which the time periods were entitled.

I have experienced similar seasons of my own: the “Peanut Butter and Banana Bonanza,” and currently, the “Southwest Chicken Salad Stage,” to name a couple. Cyclical Eating Syndrome (CES) has many characteristics. One such symptom is the inability of the afflicted to fathom a time when he or she will not want to eat the target food. Furthermore, even if the CES victim can come to grips with the reality that he or she will one day no longer have such desires, the individual certainly cannot predict when freedom from cuisine captivity may actually come.

Many say that the first step to recovery is to admit that you have a problem. And, in terms of the McDonald’s Southwest Chicken Salad Stage… I know I have a problem. This being said, perhaps you will pity me as I relay how I find myself munching the savory combination of romaine lettuce, succulent corn kernels, and crispy tortilla chips, on average, five or six times a week.

Each time I eye the delectable salad, I cannot help but puzzle over one small detail – the sneaky little lime wedge. You see, considering that I can hardly shovel the flavorsome fare into my mouth quickly enough, the single piece of lime that is included atop the salad rather inconveniences me. Not to mention, as the only bit of the salad that is not completely edible, it poses a significant choking hazard when I am engaged in such rapid chow consumption.

For you, McDonald’s, I have a simple recommendation: nix the lime wedge. Not only might you save yourself thousands in potential litigation fees (not learning from experience on this one, I see – reference Liebeck v. McDonald’s, 1994), but I would also be willing to bet that you might save millions in input costs.

After taking a stroll down the street to my friendly neighborhood grocery, I can report that a single lime now costs roughly $0.30. I can also confidently assert that a single fruit will yield eight lime wedges. Further research indicates that McDonald’s sold approximately twenty-five million of their Southwest Chicken Salads in the year 2013. With this data, we can perform some underwhelming calculations that lead us to a dichotomously overwhelming conclusion. If McDonald’s were to stop adding that pesky slice of lime to their Southwest Chicken Salad, not only would they save their number-one salad supporter from irritation, but they would also accumulate approximately $1,000,000 per year in cost savings. 

This brings us to another interesting and little known fact. Droughts and cold weather have crippled lime production this year, and as a result, a shortage of the fruit has been created. In accordance with the laws of supply and demand, lime prices soared to $1.50 a piece in May of 2014. So, in this particular year, even greater savings could have been realized.

Why, you might ask, am I belaboring the importance of a minuscule slice of lime? I am doing so for several important business reasons: 

• Challenge existing standards and norms
• Remember and pay attention to the little things
• Understand the importance of cost-benefit analysis

In business, and in all facets of life, these are important rules of thumb. Never get so bogged down in routine and in prevailing practices that you forget to ask one of the most important and fundamental questions: Why? Conversely, never get so focused on grandiose ideas and that you overlook critical details. And, remember that for every opportunity, there is a related cost, and a related benefit. That cost may be making a lower grade on your biology midterm to spend time with family and friends, or the benefit may be forgoing such an opportunity for a better GPA that might land you a stellar job. In this instance, the cost of losing customers by removing a single, unnoticeable slice of lime is negligible, and the benefit of a $1,000,000 cost savings is incredible. So, in my opinion, the lime wedge is better kept in a Coke, or on a pie, or wherever else a lime may well belong. For the sake of good business, it does not belong on my McDonald’s Southwest Chicken Salad.