Unlike many of its competitors, McDonald's (MCD) is known for a menu that stays largely unchanged across generations.
Even amid intense market pressure for a veggie burger, the McPlant took years to develop and still is available in only a few select markets in the U.S.
The biggest risks, and innovation, often come from outside the home base and at McDonald's' international franchises — from cult classics like the McAloo Tikki and McPaneer at McDonald's India to the squid ink burger and viral hit Cilantro Sundae in China.
Green Tea? In a Burger?
The latest surely not-ordinary McDonald's burger is coming out of South Korea.
Dubbed the Boseong Green Tea Pork Burger, it promotes the flavors of that country with a patty made from Boseong nokdon: a special range of pork that is made from pigs fed fermented green tea as a way of minimizing grease and odor.
As first reported by food site Chewboom, the Boseong Green Tea Pork Burger will come with spicy cheese sauce, bacon, Korean cabbage, red onions and mayonnaise on a regular burger bun.
Those hoping for a strong taste of green tea will be left disappointed as the name refers to what the pigs consume rather than what's in the burger.
The Boseong pork burger will be available at McDonald's restaurants across South Korea as part of a summer promotion called Taste of Korea. It costs 6,300 South Korean won, or roughly US$4.79.
McDonald's Korea
Could a Pork Burger Come to the U.S.?
While there is always the Sausage and Egg McMuffin, pork is a pretty rare sight in American fast-food chains outside their breakfast menu.
At most, it will come as a slice of bacon to top a burger —a full-on pork burger is currently not available on the regular menu of any major American fast food chain.
The reasons have to do with everything from tradition and local tastes to the higher risk of food-borne illness that comes from cooking pork in a fast food environment.
And while industry trends are currently moving toward incorporating more global flavors, now may not be the best time to do so.
Surprise (Not): Meat Inflation Is Still a Problem
While inflation has hit food prices across the board, pork and bacon in particular have seen some of the steepest hikes in years — a pound of bacon currently commands more than $7 across the country, an increase of over 25% since 2020.
By contrast, beef prices rose by 10.2% between 2021 and 2022 while chicken spiked by 17.4% and fish and seafood products rose by 12%. Pork as a whole rose by 13.3%.
More than one fast-food company has used such meat increases to justify increasing prices.
In a past earning call, McDonald's CFO Kevin Ozan said the company raised prices by some 6% to mitigate "food and paper increases, as well as labor inflation and the competitive environment."
Analysts at KeyBanc also recently estimated that fast-casual-Mexican chain Chipotle (CMG) also raised prices by around 6% at about 760 of its 2,997 stores, primarily in the Southeast, Southwest and the New York City metropolitan area.
"In recent years, most fast-food restaurants had, maybe, raised prices in the low single digits each year," industry analyst Matthew Goodman told the New York Times. "What we've seen over the last six-plus months are restaurants being aggressive in pushing through prices."
