McDonald’s has released an update to its burger lineup that will apply to its Big Mac, McDouble, cheeseburger, double cheeseburger, double cheeseburger and the single burger.
The changes include a softer bun, more melted cheese, adding white onions to the burgers to give them a caramelized flavor and more Big Mac sauce, the company announced Monday. The updated recipe is already being offered on the West Coast in cities including Los Angeles, Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Sacramento, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Salt Lake City and Denver, among others. The changes will be available nationwide in early 2024.
The variations were first introduced in international markets, such as Australia, Canada and Belgium, where McDonald’s said the new recipe received “rave reviews.”
“We found that small changes … like adjusting our grill settings to improve flavor, made a big difference in making our burgers tastier than ever,” a McDonald’s executive said in the statement.
Americans seem to continue to love McDonald’s core menu items.
Last quarter, comparable sales rose 10.3% in the U.S., beating expectations of 7.62%. In a meeting with investors, CEO and President Chris Kempczinski said there are still plenty of opportunities to grow market share with core menu items, especially as the company rolls out its broader “Accelerating the Arches 2.0” growth strategy and increases its commitment to core menu items such as burgers, chicken and coffee.
McDonald’s “continues to increase its share in beef, even though it already has a very strong presence in that sector,” he said.
This reinvestment in its burgers comes nearly two years after the company entered the chicken sandwich war, which Kempczinski said is working well for the global fast-food chain. We are gaining market share in both chicken and beef,” he confirmed at the meeting.
McDonald’s shares are up more than 15% compared to last year. Guggenheim Partners principal Gregory Francort told Yahoo Finance that the company has massive market share. “It’s a company that’s making $50 billion in sales in an industry valued at $800 billion or $900 billion.”
That reinvestment comes as its competitor, Burger King, tries to gain some of that market share, with a major $400 million investment earmarked for a “Reclaim the Flame” plan and a redoubled bet on its core menu item, the Whopper.