McDonald’s has revealed its latest revamp to its iconic burgers to maintain market competitiveness.
The US fast-food giant known for its competence and cost-effectiveness spent seven years improving the quality of its burgers, including its signature Big Mac.
The upgraded burgers now involved patties made in smaller batches for improved sear, enhanced special sauce, fresher ingredients such as lettuce, cheese, pickles, and a new buttery brioche bun.
The overhaul aims to strengthen the brand amid intensifying competition in the burger market, particularly from fast-food chains like Fast Guys.
While McDonald’s faced hurdles in changing its industrial-scale processes, the company is determined to improve quality without diminishing speed and safety.
The fast-food giant has grown substantially in its US same-store sales, outperforming rivals like Burger King and Wendy’s.
McDonald’s plans to use nostalgia in its marketing to keep such a pace in the country’s $136 billion burger market, bringing Hamburglar back to feature in its new ad campaigns and underscoring its “our best burgers ever” slogan.
Beyond flavor, the strategy aims to regain market share and customer favor in an intense environment. Higher-end burger chains have been growing more quickly than the conventional ones, with methods such as smash-burger cooking becoming famous.
McDonald’s rivals like Red Robin Gourmet Burgers and drive-in chain Sonic have upgraded their offerings, emphasizing better cooking and fresher ingredients. Such a trend signals a widespread industry transition to quality and innovation to meet customers’ growing demands.
The company plans a nationwide rollout in the US by early 2024, expecting to replicate its success in Australia, where similar moves have resulted in peak burger market share.
McDonald’s shares closed 1.12% higher at $281.23 on Thursday and dipped slightly by 0.06% in the after-hours trading to $281.83.
McDonald’s Says Goodbye to Dry Burgers with Revamp
Chef Chad Schafer had been exploring new ways for burger makeovers.
Earlier this year, Schafer made a double cheeseburger at a McDonald’s test kitchen in Chicago using the company’s traditional method. He also made another using a new technique.
Shafer said the revamped burger was hotter and meltier, while the standard one was “kind of dry,” with the bun displaying cracks.
McDonald’s anticipates positive outcomes from the overhaul, which involves a majority of burgers on its main menu.
In an investor call in October, McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski reported a record-high in their Australian burger market share after executing the Best Burger strategy down under.
The fast-food giant expects no menu cost surges due to the changes, although it noted that individual franchisees decide on their own prices.
