- McDonald's CEO said the company has launched trials of a bigger, "more satiating" burger in Canada and Portugal.
- The Big Arch contains two beef patties, three slices of cheese, and a new Big Arch sauce.
- The burger weighs in at 14 ounces and contains 1,065 calories
McDonald's has launched trials of a bigger, "more satiating" burger in Canada and Portugal.
It's also revealed the name of the product, which executives have been teasing since last year — the Big Arch.
"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," CEO Chris Kempczinski told investors on Monday.
The burger contains two beef patties, three slices of white processed cheese, crispy onions, raw onions, pickles, lettuce, and a new Big Arch sauce in a sesame seed bun, per a description of the burger on the McDonald's Portugal website. Kempczinski described the orange sauce as "tangy" on the call with investors.
"It's a quintessential McDonald's burger with a twist on our iconic familiar flavors," he said.
McDonald's first announced plans for the burger last December, describing it as a "large burger equity."
The burger is being piloted in three international markets this year, Kempczinski said. "We plan to attest and learn through the end of the year to gather learnings before scaling more broadly internationally," he said.
McDonald's started selling the Big Arch at selected restaurants in Ontario and Alberta, Canada, in late June, with plans to roll it out across the country by the end of the summer. The company described it as being designed "for the extra hungry."
It also launched the burger at all 205 of its restaurants in Portugal in mid-July. At one McDonald's in Lisbon, it's listed on Uber Eats for 10.50 euros ($9.70), or 13 euros with fries and a drink, though delivery aggregators typically charge more than in-restaurant menu prices.
The burger weighs 395 grams (about 14 ounces) and contains 1,065 calories, per McDonald's Portugal. It also contains 96% of the reference daily fat intake for an average adult.
One Reddit user who said they had tried the new burger in Canada described it as "huge."
The biggest burger on McDonald's core US menu is the double quarter pounder, made up of two beef patties that collectively weigh about eight ounces before cooking as well as two slices of cheese. It's the most calorific burger on its core US menu, at 740 calories.
Customers want bigger burgers, not premium ones
Under its "Accelerating the Arches" strategy, McDonald's has focused on improving its core menu — burgers, chicken, and coffee — which Borden previously said makes up about 65% of its global sales.
This includes focusing on bigger burgers rather than premium ones. "We thought the opportunity was about premium burger which was wrong," CFO Ian Borden said earlier this year. "We weren't successful." Instead, customers want larger ones, he said.
Another part of the plan included McDonald's launch of its "Best Burger" strategy last year, changing its burgers' ingredients and how they're cooked. Kempczinski told investors on Monday that the strategy was now in place in more than 80% of markets and would be introduced at nearly all its markets by the end of 2026.
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