Behind every McDonald’s menu item is a team of chefs blending creativity, science, and a dash of fun. Among them is Chef Janaé Havis, whose journey from prepping the family Thanksgiving meal to the McDonald’s test kitchen in Chicago brings curiosity and a fresh perspective to the table. From taste-testing hundreds of patties to tracking viral food trends, Janaé and her teammates are shaping the flavors fans crave.  

McDonald’s culinary team may be lean, but it’s loaded with talent and teamwork. With around a dozen team members, and five to six working on development daily, collaboration is key. “I rarely like to depend on my own palate,” Janaé says. “It’s always nice to have other opinions.” 

The process isn’t just about taste, it’s about perspective. Each chef brings different expertise to the table, from nutrition and food science to global cuisine influences. Together, the culinary team collaborates to create a built-in system of checks, balances, and bold new ideas. 

Since joining McDonald’s global headquarters in March 2024, Janaé has found a mentor in Chef Mike Lingo, her manager. “He’s kind of like my work dad,” she laughs. 

“He’s so willing to take a step back and teach me something.” Beyond technical skills, that mentorship has given Janaé the confidence to experiment, with a safety net of support encouraging her growth. “A big part of coming here is trying to understand the complexity of the company, and she dove right in and never stops learning,” Mike says.  The McDonald’s culinary team creates a culture of collaboration, where thinking outside of the box is encouraged and new ideas become opportunities to learn and grow. 

What Does Food Innovation Look Like at McDonald’s?

Built on a foundation of collaboration and mentorship, Janaé’s role is anything but one-dimensional, with each day bringing a new challenge and opportunity to innovate. “Every day is almost completely unique and different,” she says. One day she’s helping develop the perfect sauce to pair with the Snack Wrap®, the next she’s flying to California to oversee beverage production or even filming a TikTok in McDonald's corporate test kitchen. It’s this blend of adaptability and curiosity that fuels food innovation at McDonald’s, where no two days look the same and every project has the potential to shape the next menu favorite. 

For Janaé, food innovation is fueled by both creativity and collaboration, and it doesn’t end in the test kitchen. It extends to McDonald’s trusted supplier partners. Once Janaé and her team land on a recipe they believe in, they take it to the next step: “I’ll go to our suppliers, brief them, and give them a detailed recipe with specific instructions down to the gram so they know exactly what I used,” she explains. “It’s about consistency, there’s no room for error. That way we’re all tasting the same thing and on the same page about what our menu should look like.” 

The clear balance of imagination and teamwork allows McDonald’s chefs like Janaé to transform bold ideas into menu items. Every detail, from the first spark of inspiration to the final taste test with suppliers, plays a role in turning creative ideas into consistent, delicious experiences for McDonald’s fans. 

When Fans and Food Culture Collide

Beyond the kitchen, Janaé plays a unique role on the team: decoding internet food culture. As the youngest and most “chronically online” team member, she leads quarterly “social share outs” to spotlight trending flavors and ideas that might just spark the next big hit. 

Her role bridges two worlds: the classic structure of recipe development and the fast-moving, unpredictable landscape of social media. From TikTok food hacks to Instagram-worthy flavor mashups, she filters through what’s viral, what’s viable, and what could resonate with McDonald’s fans. 

Sometimes those ideas evolve into real product tests, other times they serve as inspiration for marketing campaigns or seasonal experiments. The point isn’t to just follow trends, it’s to understand fan energy and meet it with creativity. 

McDonald’s Test Kitchen: Cooking Up What’s Next

While we can’t spill the fries (yet), it’s safe to say Janaé and her team’s impact will continue to show up in McDonald’s kitchens in delicious ways. Her goal is simple: “Ultimately, I hope it tastes good … it’s really cool to see the vision come to life and resonate with customers,” she says. 

But innovation at McDonald’s is about more than just taste. It’s about scale, bringing one chef’s ideas to thousands of restaurants and drive-thrus worldwide without sacrificing quality, consistency, or a sense of fun. That means rigorous testing, constant back and forth feedback, and fine-tuning every detail, from ingredient sourcing to packaging. 

For Janaé, that process is what drives her most. She’s fascinated by global flavors and loves exploring unexpected twists on familiar menu items. Whether it’s a bold new sauce, a refreshing dessert idea, or a modern take on a classic favorite, she sees every project as a chance to surprise and delight fans. 

With her eyes set on the future and her creativity in McDonald’s test kitchen, Chef Janaé and her team are helping shape the next generation of McDonald’s food, one bite at a time.