The McDonald's hamburger, even the famed Big Mac, exists in a sort of different universe than higher-end burgers. When you sit down for a burger at a family-friendly restaurant chain or even a fast-casual chain like 5 Guys, customers have an entirely different expectation than when they enter the Golden Arches.
Basic McDonald's hamburgers are skimpy, but the chain's entire burger line did get a major overhaul this year. The company did not make big changes, Instead, it made a bunch of smaller ones.
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The changes included "softer, pillowy buns that are freshly toasted to a golden brown," and "perfectly melted cheese that will make you want to savor every last bit off the wrapper," according to the company.
McDonald's also added more Big Mac Sauce to its signature sandwich and has started adding white onions to its burger patties while they are still on the grill to create a caramelized flavor.
McDonald's has worked to make its burgers better, but it has never succeeded, despite numerous attempts, to create a premium burger. It's latest effort, however, may be the time the chain has all the pieces, and the right market conditions, to put together a premium hamburger.
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McDonald's burgers aren't very big
Every fast-food hamburger chain has a signature sandwich. Burger King has the Whopper, a product it has leveraged extensively, Wendy's offers the Baconator, and McDonald's has the Big Mac.
The problem is that while the Big Mac may be a famous burger, it's not a premium burger. Much of its heft comes from toppings and its middle bun. It's actual burger patties are 1.6 ounces each, making it smaller than a Quarter Pounder.
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McDonald's (MCD) has offered bigger Big Macs, including one made with quarter-pound patties. It also offered the Double Big Mac, which it described as follows:
"The Double Big Mac is double the fun with four 100% all-beef patties. It’s topped with pickles, crisp shredded lettuce, finely chopped onions, our iconic Big Mac sauce, and a slice of American cheese, all sandwiched between a fluffy sesame seed bun," the company shared.
Basically, that limited-time offer was the same burger with double patties, something most of the chain's locations will allow you to order even though it's no longer on the menu.
McDonald's burgers going big for a reason
McDonald's has tried premium burgers before, but products like the Arch Deluxe never took off because people who wanted a nicer burger would likely opt for a sports bar, or a chain like Chili's or TGI Fridays.
Now, however, consumers have become increasingly focused on value and that may open the door for a premium McDonald's offering. That's something CEO Chris Kempczinski talked about during his chain's first-quarter earnings call.
"Consumers continue to be even more discriminating with every dollar that they spend as they faced elevated prices in their day-to-day spending which is putting pressure on the QSR industry," he said. "In the context of a difficult macro environment for the industry, we know our customers are looking for reliable everyday value now more than ever."
CFO Ian Borden talked about the chain working on a bigger burger during the call.
"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. 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," he shared.
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