McDonald’s wants to offer a premium hamburger.
That’s something the chain has tried to do for decades with little to no success.
Perhaps its biggest failure, the Arch Deluxe, was marketed as “the burger with the grown-up taste.” It tried to reinforce the message with an ad campaign that showed two young rappers saying “yuck” when they saw the burger.
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That’s kind of odd given that nothing about the Arch Deluxe was unique. It didn’t feature unusual ingredients; it was just a slightly bigger patty topped with bacon, lettuce, tomato, cheese, onions, ketchup and a secret sauce.
Arch Deluxe lasted a few years before it was buried next to the McDLT, the McLean Deluxe, Big ‘N Tasty and, later, the pricey Angus Burger.
It’s fair to say that an audience that considers the Big Mac a premium burger may not want to pay for something that’s ostensibly better. McDonald’s’ (MCD) customers have spoken (repeatedly) but the company’s management still believes they can solve the premium burger puzzle.
The Big Mac has long been McDonald’s premium burger.
Image source: Cate Gillon/Getty Images
McDonald’s puts the focus on burgers
For the past year or so, McDonald’s has focused on making small changes to its burgers that improve their overall taste. Chief Executive Chris Kempczinski talked about the moves during his chain’s second-quarter earnings call.
“Leaning into the power of our core menu also leads to outstanding execution in our kitchens. Our deployment of Best Burger is a great example of this,” he said.
“Now deployed in over 80% of markets, the training and focus on the basics ensures we deliver the gold-standard product our customers expect which is driving elevated taste and quality perceptions. We remain on track to have best burger deployed in nearly all markets by the end of 2026.”
Best Burger is a subtle series of improvements that include:
Softer, pillowy buns that are freshly toasted to a golden brown Perfectly melted cheese that will make you want to savor every last bit off the wrapper Juicier, caramelized flavor from adding white onions to the patties while they’re still on the grill Even more of everyone’s favorite Big Mac sauce, bringing more tangy sweetness in every Big Mac bite
Kempczinski wants to build on that model to help his company launch another attempt at a premium burger.
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McDonald’s wants a more satisfying burger
It’s important to note that Kempczinski has not called his chain’s new burger a premium offering. Instead, he’s leaning into what might be considered a value play.
“As we announced late last year, we continue to innovate across our core menu to address unmet customer needs with a more satiating burger that will provide great value for money,” he said. “This new burger, which we’re piloting across three international markets this year, includes two beef patties perfectly layered with melting cheese, crispy toppings, and a tangy McDonald’s sauce.”
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Value has been a clear message not just for McDonald’s but for the entire fast-food space. “Satiating” may not be a word to build a marketing campaign around, but a more filling hamburger might help the chain break its history of premium-burger failures.
“It’s a quintessential McDonald’s burger with a twist on our iconic familiar flavors, named The Big Arch. We plan to attest and learn through the end of the year to gather learnings before scaling more broadly internationally,” the CEO added.
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