McDonald's has never been known for the quality of its food.
Yes, its famous french fries stand out, and in recent years it has received some plaudits for its McCrispy Chicken Sandwich. But the chain has always offered a lackluster burger.
The fans of McDonald's thin, grey burger patties might argue otherwise, but the chain's burgers were more about familiarity and price than good flavor.
Even the famed Big Mac and Quarter Pounder with Cheese still pale in comparison to the run-of-the-mill burgers offered by pretty much any chain sports bar.
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That's something the company tried to address with its "Best Burger" program, which began earlier this year.
"Our chefs have been cooking up small but tasty improvements to the Big Mac sandwich, McDouble burger, and our classic Cheeseburger, Double Cheeseburger and Hamburger – and we can’t wait for fans across the U.S. to get a taste," the company said on its website. "The magic is in the details."
The changes were simple but designed to deliver an overall better burger.
- Softer, pillowy buns that are freshly toasted to a golden brown
- Perfectly melted cheese
- Juicier, caramelized flavor from adding white onions to the patties while they’re still on the grill
- Even more Big Mac sauce, bringing more tangy sweetness in every Big Mac bite
These changes did improve the company's burger, and more changes are coming.
Image source: Cate Gillon/Getty Images
McDonald's making more burger changes
McDonald's Chief Financial Officer Ian Borden said that "Best Burger" has succeeded with the chain's customers. He talked about McDonald's continued burger efforts during the company's first-quarter earnings call.
"Tapping into the nostalgia of the hamburger, the campaign drove a significant lift in the Big Mac category and contributed to record customer satisfaction scores in the market," he said. "The progress we've made with our core burgers highlights what McDonald's can achieve when we tap into the full power of our system size and scale."
"Best Burger" has provided a blueprint for ongoing growth.
"We'll continue to showcase that small changes can add up to deliver big improvements to both taste and quality by scaling 'Best Burger' to nearly all restaurants by the end of 2026," the executive said. "And as we look to further build on our leadership in beef, our team of chefs from around the world have created a larger satiating burger."
McDonald's has tried multiple premium burgers, including the Arch Deluxe and the Angus Burger. The chain is taking a cautious approach with its new offering.
"We'll be testing this burger in a few markets later this year, ensuring that it has universal appeal before scaling it across the globe" Borden said.
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Value is on the McDonald's menu
A more filling burger fits with what McDonald's has been seeing from its customers in the U.S. People want more value for their money, which led the chain to borrow a strategy from Wendy's and offer a $5 value meal with a sandwich, chicken nuggets, fries and a drink.
Value has not just been a theme in the U.S.
"Over the past year, we've launched everyday value menus across many of our international markets, including all five of our big [international operated] markets," Chief Executive Chris Kempczinski said. "Featuring value bundles at various price points, these new offerings provide smaller, more affordable meals to our customers."
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He made clear that McDonald's offered a value menu before its $5 meal deal, but consumers may not have received that message.
"I think the issue that we have in the U.S. is in an environment where everybody is out there with a value message, there's an opportunity for us to drive better awareness of what our value platform is," he added.
