McDonald's changes the recipe for its famous Big Mac to face competition

It’s a small revolution taking place at the famous brand with the yellow M. After seven years of development, McDonald's is reviewing the recipe for its flagship burger for the first time: the Big Mac. More than fifty modifications have been made to it, including more generous portions of sauce, from 9 to 14 grams per sandwich or even thicker bread to keep the heat.

“The lettuce, cheese and pickles have been redesigned to be fresher and more tender, the bread is now a buttery brioche, with sesame seeds scattered more randomly for a homemade look,” reveals Wall Street Newspaper . Everything has been thought out down to the smallest detail, such as cooking six steaks simultaneously, compared to eight previously, or even taking the cheese out of the fridge earlier so that it is smoother in the burger. If these culinary changes are, for the moment, only visible in the United States, they should one day spread to restaurants across the Atlantic.

With its innovations, McDonald’s does not want to leave any room for its competitors. Other fast food chains, such as Five Guys, focus on a “luxury” burger with quality products. Enough to give ideas to the Chicago-based firm, which seeks to improve its products, as Chris Young, director of menu strategy, explains: “We can do them quickly and stay in our comfort zone but that doesn't doesn't necessarily taste good. We therefore want to integrate quality.” Despite these developments, the brand assures, the prices of the Big Mac will not be increased, even if each franchisee sets its own prices.

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With its strategy, McDonald's seeks to maintain its lead over its competitors. In the United States, the group recorded an increase in its in-store sales of 10.3% in 2022, compared to 3.9% for Wendy's or 2.2% for Burger King. Despite this advance, the image of McDonald's has tarnished over the years and ranks 13th among American chains in terms of the desirability of its burgers, shows a Technomic study. A quarter of respondents find them attractive, compared to 52% for Burger King. Once again, McDonald’s has the solution, and displays numerous advertisements on American soil highlighting its “best burgers of all time”.

In the United States, fast food is at the heart of Americans' daily lives, with 68% of them eating hamburgers in fast food restaurants at least once a month, according to research firm Datassential. The American market is feeling the impact with $136 billion in annual sales of hamburgers in the catering sector, notes Euromonitor. Enough to make McDonald’s want to keep a place of choice in this competitive sector.