Summer means time outside, sun, beaches, maybe throwing a Frisbee, and, of course, crushing up an apple pie and putting it into your McFlurry.
That may not be the first thing most people think of when it comes to summer, but McDonald's (MCD) has a number of promotions designed to put itself into the summer discussion.
That's generally not typical for fast-food burger chains. Wendy's (WEN) has a Summer Strawberry Salad that it brings back seasonally, but that's generally the full extent of summer-specific promotions in this space.
Restaurant Brands International (QSR) Burger King has a steady stream of promotions year-round, but it hasn't offered up a Fourth of July Whopper or anything that screams "hey, it's hot out, come get a burger and some fries."
McDonald's, however, has embraced the summer season on both sides of the pond. It's going to "camp" in the U.S. and it has a summer menu in the U.K., some of which could (someday) make its way to North America.
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McDonald's May Not Know What Camp Is
The fast-food chain has billed its summer promotion in the U.S. "Camp McDonald's." That's a very loose designation for what is essentially a month of giveaways along with some formerly secret menu items making their way to the actual menu through the company's app.
McDonald's does also have some special merchandise and has been having a different DJ perform each Sunday. Still, while the promotion itself is a little silly, the deals are very real:
- 7/18 Deal: Free Iced Coffee with $1 minimum purchase
- 7/19 Deal: BOGO medium fries*
- 7/20 McFlurry Sandwich Menu Hack: free cookies with McFlurry purchase
- 7/21 Merch Drop: Market Camp Merch
- 7/22 Deal: Buy 1 combo meal, get 1 free Happy Meal
- 7/23 Deal: BOGO for $1 Crispy Chicken Sandwich
- 7/24 In the Booth: BIBI
- 7/25 Deal: Free iced coffee with $1 minimum purchase
- 7/26 Deal: $5 for 20 pc. McNuggets
- 7/27 Deal: BOGO McFlurry
- 7/28 Merch Drop: Kid Cudi Camp Merch
- 7/29 Deal: Free McChicken with $1 minimum purchase
- 7/30 Deal: $2 Big Mac
- 7/31 In the Booth: Kid Cudi
There's not a swim lesson or a game of softball on the list, but the fast-food chain is betting heavily that its often-broken McFlurry machines hold up.
McDonald's Also Has a Summer Menu
You have to travel to the U.K. if you want to try McDonald's Summer Menu, but it contains a number of choices that would fit easily on its U.S. menu.
These include the Crispy Chicken Italiano, a crispy chicken fillet topped with a tomato slice, mozzarella, a basil pesto-style sauce, red onion, and lettuce served in a soft freshly toasted ciabatta style bun; and the Italian Stack, two beef patties, mozzarella, onions, crispy onions, a rich tomato sauce, lettuce, and a smooth cheese sauce all served within a freshly toasted tomato-and-basil flavored bun.
The fast-food giant also has Mozzarella Dippers, essentially mozzarella sticks on its summer menu (maybe some McDonald's U.K. executives spend their summers in Italy).
But the highlight of the Summer Menu -- and an item that would be a big candidate to cross over to the U.S. -- is the Tiramisu McFlurry, which the chain describes as "soft dairy ice-cream, swirled with chocolate flavoured pieces and a luxurious coffee and chocolate flavoured sauce."
Those items may not yet be available in the U.S., but people in the U.K. don't have access to Camp McDonald's, so they missed out on the Apple Pie McFlurry and a chance to get a Grimace pool float.
