McDonald’s has spent the past few quarters trying to establish itself as a value player, especially in its home market of the United States.

“Our combination of great-tasting menu innovation, exciting marketing, and reliable value and affordability succeeded in a highly challenged consumer environment and drove traffic share gains in a majority of our top markets,” CEO Christopher Kempczinski shared during the chain’s third-quarter earnings call.

He made it clear that value was being driven by interest from American consumers.

“We heard our customers loud and clear on the need to deliver everyday value and affordability across their favorite items on our menu board,” he shared.

Value, of course, is not the same thing as price, and McDonald’s next U.S. menu innovation will test whether its customers see that.

McDonald’s menu adds a high-end burger

McDonald’s has failed with premium burgers, including the Arch Deluxe and its Signature Crafter line, in the past.

CFO Ian Borden talked about why the company has struggled with higher-end offerings in the past.

“We thought the opportunity was about premium burgers, which was wrong,” he said at a UBS Global Consumer and Retail Conference in 2024, Business Insider reported. “We weren’t successful.”

Instead, he noted, customers want a larger, more satisfying burger. The Big Arch, which launches in March, will attempt to meet that demand.

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“McDonald’s is trying to find a balance between value and premium products in a challenged consumer spending environment in the U.S. and around the world,” said Raymond James analyst Bryan Elliott, Forbes reported.

Balancing value and price is a challenge.

“The real nirvana for this company is if they can sell premium products but also drive traffic and value. Those two things run incongruously — when you promote value, it’s hard to drive a premium product,” Jefferies analyst Andy Barish said.

Historically, McDonald’s premium pushes fail because that’s not what its core customers are looking for. If they want premium, they tend to trade up to a higher-end chain for better perceived value.

McDonald’s is going for bigger over premium with its new burger.

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Big Arch ingredients

  • Two beef patties: About a quarter-pound each, seasoned after cooking
  • Poppy and sesame seed bun: Soft, larger-than-typical burger buns, with both poppy and sesame seeds
  • White cheddar cheese: Two slices of creamy cheddar
  • Big Arch sauce: Signature sauce including tomato concentrate/paste, egg yolk, mustard, and spices (a tangier twist on Big Mac-style sauce)
  • Lettuce: Shredded iceberg for crunch
  • Crispy onions: Fried onion pieces for extra texture
  • Slivered onions: Fresh white onions
  • Pickle slices: Gherkin pickles
  • Calories: 1,050-1,110 kcal, roughly double the calories of a McDonald’s classic Big Mac (550–560 kcal)
    Source: McDonald’s

McDonald’s adding more new menu items

Big Arch will not be McDonald’s next major U.S. release.

“On January 27th, McDonald’s begins rolling out their new Hot Honey sauce, which comes with the Hot Honey McCrispy that was out in Canada recently. You can also add hot honey to any breakfast sandwich along with dipping cups for McCrispy Strips and McNuggets, or get the Snack Wrap,” the popular Snackolator Instagram page reported.

The unexpected release will surprise customers, but McDonald’s regulars should be expecting its next promotion.

“Then the Shamrock Shake and Shamrock Oreo McFlurry are set to drop again in early February as one of the finest traditions in fast food,” the social media page added.

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