McDonald’s Introduces Enhanced Burger Offerings

New York
UJ
—

McDonald’s is focusing on enhancing its fundamental menu items to increase sales and is implementing various changes aimed at improving its iconic burgers.

the buns will be softer, the cheese will be gooier, onions will be grilled directly on the patties, and there will be an increase in Big Mac sauce.

“We discovered that minor adjustments, such as refining our methods for hotter, meltier cheese and optimizing our grill settings for a superior sear, collectively made a significant improvement in the flavor profile of our burgers,” stated Chef Chad Schafer, senior director of culinary innovation at McDonald’s USA, in a recent announcement. These enhancements will be implemented for the Big Mac, McDouble, cheeseburgers, double cheeseburgers, and hamburgers.

The enhancements were initially tested in international locations and are already available in several U.S. cities such as Los Angeles, Seattle, Phoenix, and Las Vegas, with a full rollout expected by early next year.

These modifications follow previous enhancements to essential menu items.

In 2018, McDonald’s announced the switch to using fresh beef for its Quarter Pounders, a strategic move that significantly boosted sales. In 2021, the company introduced a crispy chicken sandwich to replace earlier versions, which has been well-received by customers despite being a late entry into the competitive chicken sandwich market.

“We are effectively gaining market share in both the chicken and beef sectors,” attributed to the enhancements in burgers and the chicken sandwich, indicated McDonald’s (MCD) CEO Chris Kempczinski during a January earnings call. He added, “In an environment where our customers seek simplicity and familiarity, our core menu items have never been more important.” In the U.S., comparable store sales increased by 5.9% in the fourth quarter of 2022, marking a 10.3% rise for the entire year.

By prioritizing the promotion of its core menu items instead of frequently introducing new offerings, McDonald’s aims to streamline its processes and reduce complexities in the kitchen. The brand has leveraged promotions, such as celebrity meal collaborations and the nostalgic adult Happy Meal, to generate excitement around its foundational items.

“Throughout 2022, some of our most successful promotional campaigns have drawn our customers closer to our core menu items,” Kempczinski remarked during the January call.

McDonald’s is not alone in its endeavor to enhance its flagship offerings.

Burger King has also recently unveiled plans to revamp its business strategy, with a focus on enhancing the Whopper and increasing its prominence in advertising. In the fourth quarter of last year, the chain provided Whopper training for its franchisees, and in February, reported that the Whopper contributed to a rise in domestic sales during that period.