STRATEGIC PARTNERS
McDonald's Quarter Pounder has put on weight, as beef prices have climbed.
August 13, 2015
McDonald's has added 0.25 ounces of beef to its popular Quarter Pounder hamburger to make it weigh 4.25 ounces before being cooked. The current patty stands at 4 ounces before cooking but shrinks to 2.8 ounces after cooking, according to McDonald's Twitter account.
McDonald's was not immediately available for comment about the change.
On its most recent earnings call, the chain noted domestic commodity costs rose about 1 percent, mostly due to climbing beef prices. It is unclear if McDonald’s will raise prices for its burgers.
"We begin third quarter under a new structure supported by market-level focus, stronger accountability and an unwavering emphasis on the basic fundamentals of running great restaurants," McDonald's President and CEO Steve Easterbrook said, according to a company press release. "We are aligning our initiatives and resources behind longer-term strategic actions with the ability to drive meaningful improvements in our business. We have talented franchisees, suppliers and employees working together to create the change needed to deliver a better experience for our customers."
The move comes as McDonald's seeks to improve its core menu as part of an ongoing turnaround led by Easterbrook. The initiatives include different cooking methods, such as changing how it sears and grills its beef to deliver hotter and juicier sandwiches, and a new drive-through ordering process to improve accuracy, according to the company.
