A former McDonald’s chef has revealed the real reason why the fast food giant’s salads cost more than its burgers.
Based in Illinois Mike Haraczwho worked at the company until 2019, used TikTok to reveal the secrets about the fast food chain’s salads, which were discontinued in 2020.
He explained that the leafy greens, which cost about $5 or more depending on the toppings you chose, were more expensive than McDonald’s burgers, which cost about $2 on average, because “salad doesn’t last long.”
In a viral video that has been viewed more than 23,000 times to date, Mike explained why burgers at fast food restaurants often cost significantly less than salads.
A former McDonald’s chef has revealed the real reason why the fast food giant’s salads cost more than its burgers
Illinois-based Mike Haracz, who worked at the company until 2019, used TikTok to reveal the secrets about the fast-food chain’s salads, which were discontinued in 2020
Mike responded to a comment from a social media user who wondered why salads are “$9 and a cooked beef burger is $1.59”
He captioned the video: “Former McDonald’s Chef Talks Why Salad Is So Expensive.”
Mike responded to a comment from a social media user who wondered why salads cost “$9 and a cooked beef burger is $1.59.”
‘The biggest reason is that salads do not keep for a long time. By salads we mean iceberg lettuce, romaine leafy vegetables and the like,” he explains.
Chef Mike noted that while beef could be preserved by freezing it, you couldn’t extend the shelf life of lettuce.
“You can freeze beef, you can refrigerate beef to extend its shelf life,” he said, also citing the fragility of lettuce.
“The same trucks that transport beef also transport lettuce. You can’t make it worse. You can’t crush it. “You have to handle it very carefully, otherwise it will get damaged and people won’t buy it,” he said.
The former McDonald’s chef noted that consumers wouldn’t buy lettuce unless it was absolutely perfect, meaning it was much more expensive to store and sell.
‘If it looks strange, even though it’s fine to eat, people just don’t want to buy it. (But with ground meat, you can use a variety of different parts of the animal that have been ground, so you don’t have to “If you know what it looks like, you can combine the fat content and things like that,” he explained.
Chef Mike noted that beef can be preserved by freezing it, but you can’t extend the shelf life of lettuce
Fast food lovers flooded the comments section expressing their shock at hearing why the chain had charged so much more
Fast food lovers flooded the comments section, expressing shock at hearing why the chain had charged so much more.
One person said: ‘We can shorten supply chains. Vertical farms closer to the point of use will extend the life of greens.”
Someone else added: ‘Yes, but keep lettuce on hand for sandwiches. So why does that matter?’
Another user commented: ‘I knew it.’
“Makes so much sense,” weighed in a fourth.
McDonald’s eliminated its salads following the COVID-19 pandemic after the fast-food chain reevaluated its menu.
Because salad was more expensive and the restaurant wanted to streamline its drive-thru operations, McDonald’s said goodbye to leafy greens.
Mike often posts about his days at McDonald’s, previously revealing why you shouldn’t visit the fast-food restaurant before 10:30 a.m. and how menu items are determined in your area.