McDonald's is upgrading one of its iconic products as it gains market share in the chicken and beef categories.
The fast food giant touted Monday that it's making its "classic burgers even better" through several enhancements including softer buns, "juicer" caramelized onions and "perfectly" melted cheese. It's also adding more of its Big Mac sauce.
The Chicago-based company made improvements to its Big Mac sandwich, McDouble burger, classic Cheeseburger, Double Cheeseburger and Hamburger. The improved burgers have already been rolled out in several cities on the West Coast, and will be in all restaurants nationwide by early 2024, according to the company.
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Tariq Hassan, McDonald’s USA chief marketing and customer experience officer, said the company's classic burgers are what made it famous and that "they’ve become a cultural icon over the years."
"We found that small changes, like tweaking our process to get hotter, meltier cheese and adjusting our grill settings for a better sear, added up to a big difference in making our burgers more flavorful than ever," Chad Schafer, chef and senior director of culinary innovation of McDonald’s USA, said.
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During an earnings call in January, CEO Chris Kempczinski said the company has been stepping up its game on menu favorites.
"We're delivering hotter, juicier, more delicious burgers and building on the success of emerging equities like the McCrispy Chicken Sandwich," Kempczinski told analysts. "As a result, we are gaining market share in both chicken and beef."
The news comes after prior product launches in the fourth quarter already boosted traffic at its restaurants despite high inflation.
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In October, the company also benefited heavily from its adult Happy Meals featuring limited-edition toys designed by the streetwear brand Cactus Plant Flea Market. Half of the toys for those meals were gone in the first four days of the promotion.
A "farewell tour" for the cult favorite McRib sandwich drew in more U.S. customers in November and World Cup promotions fueled double-digit increases in delivery sales in McDonald’s 10 largest markets.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
