McDonald’s has revealed an ambitious plan to modernise its brand and enhance customer service in the 10th year of its Plan to Win program.

CEO Jim Skinner on Friday (Australian time) told US investors in a briefing the company will invest US$2.9 billion on opening 1300 new restaurants in 2012 and refurbishing more than 2400.

The company earlier this year unveiled a new modern look for its restaurants and will work to introduce the enhancements in coming months.

And it is banking on its association with the London 2012 Olympic Games to boost operating income by seven per cent next year.

“McDonald’s long-term growth targets have served us well and remain intact going forward,” said Skinner.

“They are realistic and sustainable for a company of our size, particularly as we invest to widen our competitive advantages and stretch our brand.”

Skinner said that over the past nine years, Plan to Win had been the right blueprint for McDonald’s and it remains relevant today.

“It has enabled us to perform well in both robust and challenging economic environments. Most importantly, the plan is supported by our unparalleled competitive advantages in size and scale, our financial strength and our system alignment.”

COO Don Thompson said: “We are intensifying our efforts behind three global priorities that represent our greatest opportunities under the Plan to Win – optimising and evolving our menu, modernising the customer experience and broadening accessibility to our brand.

“I am confident in our strategies and the ability of our talented system to execute against these priorities as we drive toward our mission to become our customers’ favorite place and way to eat and drink.”

McDonald’s currently has more than 33,000 locations worldwide serving some 64 million customers in 119 countries each day.

The company did not break down its investment plans by region.