The headwinds facing Mcdonald's arose after a long period of strong growth even during the U.S. recession of 2007-2009 and the ensuing period of global economic uncertainty." Even in the third and fourth quarters of 2011, the company's growth barely slowed, and its revenue and profits exceeded analysts' expectations. Analysts estimated that Mcdonald's captured nearly 17 percent of the limited- service restaurant industry in the United States in 2011, nearly as much as the next four restaurants in that category combined- Subway, Starbucks, Burger King, and Wendy's. The average free- standing Mcdonald's restaurant in the United States generated $2.6 million in sales in 2011, a 13 percent increase since 2008. The company's annual advertising budget was estimated to exceed $2 billion. The company modernized its restaurants all over the world with Wi-Fi, colorful chairs, and flat-screen TVs. It expanded restaurant hours and added double-lane drive-throughs. The company also engaged "mom bloggers," who wrote about the company and who helped push for improvements in the nutritional content of Happy Meals. McDonald's reduced the size of the french fries and put apple slices in each meal nationally in March 2012. Mcdonald's also focused heavily on emerging markets such as China for new-restaurant growth. In late 2011, the company's Asia/Pacific, Middle East, and Africa division reported the strongest same-store sales growth of all its business units. The company offered more drive- through restaurants and motorbike delivery of food in countries such as China, Egypt, and South Korea