News

McDonald's says fresh beef change = 40 million more quarter-pounders sold this Q1 over last

June 24, 2019

One year on, McDonald's USA is calling its move nationally to fresh beef quarter-pound burgers allowed the world's largest restaurant chain to — for the first time in five years — gain ground in the Informal Eating Out category, with the introduction of fresh beef in May 2018 producing what a news release said is a greater than 50% "increase in quarter-pound sales during the first month of the national fresh beef quarter-pound burger marketing promotions." The company added that sales also remained strong for the year. 

"Our numbers speak for themselves, with the introduction of fresh beef and the promotions including fresh beef quarter-pound burgers helping result in a sustained quarter-pound burger sales increase 30% on average throughout the entire first year," McDonalds USA President Chris Kempczinski, said in the release. "And ultimately, McDonald's sold 40 million more quarter-pound burgers in Q1 2019 than in Q1 2018."

The company called its move to fresh beef "the most significant change to the McDonald's U.S. system and operations since All Day Breakfast." The rollout went without interruptions in supply across nearly 3,000 independent franchisees, the release said.

McDonald's invested heavily in the move to fresh beef in the burgers with the addition of specially designed packaging for fresh beef patties, dedicated kitchen utensils, new refrigerators and a move to an increased required internal temperature standard for cooked patties, which McDonald's said was "to optimize quality and safeguard against any possible food safety issues."