We’ve been hearing about it for months – since the chain launched its high-profile commitment to ‘better value’. Now, they’ve finally unveiled the basics of McDonald’s ‘revolutionary’ new Bigger Burger. And a McD’s Canada news release offers some details…
The long-awaited Arch Burger: Appears to sport a luxe bun with both sesame and poppy
seeds. Crispy Onions on the bottom and diced onions on top. Crowned with that new
‘mystery’ sauce. (Shown larger than life. How much larger? We don’t know…)
During his Q2 quarterly conference call with investors, MccDonald’s President Chris Kempczinski re-vealed the basic specifications of the chain’s long-awaited, ‘value priced’, ‘Bigger Burger’.
We now know it’s called the ‘Arch Burger’. But Kempczinski’s description was, alas, not very specific: “It’s a quintessential McDonald’s burger with a twist on our iconic, familiar flavors.”
Pertinent details
According to a McDonald’s Canada news release, however: “Its two beef patties – made from 100 per-cent Canadian beef – are perfectly layered with three slices of white processed cheese, crispy onions, slivered onions, pickles, lettuce, and our new, delicious Big Arch sauce.”
Furthermore: “It’s a quintessential McDonald’s burger that satisfies guests’ hunger with a twist on our iconic flavours.”
(Note: ‘Processed Cheese’ is what they call ‘American’ everywhere but in America.)
Some questions…
What size are the beef patties? Regular McDonald’s Hamburger-sized? Big Mac-sized? (I can’t see them using those fresh-never-frozen quarter-pound patties in a value-priced burger…) But the ques-tion is still begged. Is the Arch a double ‘basic’ McD’s burger with a new array of toppings? Or what? The size of the parries will determine the size of the bun and the overall size of the burger. As well as determining how much of those toppings you get on it.
And what about the toppings? An interesting selection, particularly the inclusion of 2 kinds of onions. But pickles, lettuce and cheese are all standard items in the McDonald’s pantry.
Then, there’s that new sauce. Kempczinski described it only as a, “tangy McDonald’s sauce.” So we can assume, at least, that it’s not just the Big Mac’s Special Sauce repurposed. But what is it?
The main question, of course, is how much will the Arch cost? Neither Kempczinski nor the release mentioned what, in the ‘value’ context, is obviously the central issue. Nor can we attempt to evaluate the actual ‘value’ the new burger offers without a menu price.
My take
My overall impression is that McDonald’s is purposely being cagey about its new Arch Burger. Perhaps they don’t want to build up fans’ specific expectations too much before actually showing it to them. And if folks are disappointed, they can’t say McD’s failed to deliver on any specific promises.
Am I being overly cynical? We’ll see…
~ Maggie J.