After months of anticipation, McDonald’s finally introduces the Big Arch: the largest burger ever.
McDonald’s first announced plans to introduce the Big Arch at its annual investor meeting in December 2023, in response to overwhelming customer demand for heartier burgers that are both tasty and affordable.
This long-awaited addition was originally tested in a number of countries, but is now available in a number of countries, including Canada and Portugal.
“We’ve heard our guests’ requests and understand that they’re looking for a bigger burger on our menu, and we’re excited to bring this new international menu item to Canadians,” said Alyssa Buetikofer, Chief Marketing Officer, McDonald’s Canada.
‘This delicious burger combines the familiar McDonald’s flavors our fans know and love with some unique new ingredients, including a spicy new burger sauce developed especially for the Big Arch.’
After months of anticipation, McDonald’s finally introduces the Big Arch – its largest burger yet
Featuring two quarter-pound, 100% Canadian beef burgers, three slices of cheese, crispy onions, pickles, lettuce and a new spicy sauce, the Big Arch is designed to satisfy even the biggest appetites.
In Canada, a Big Arch meal—with a drink and fries—cost $12.59 at one of the Ontario selection testing sites. That’s about $9 in the U.S.
While the product may not be available in the United States yet, McDonald’s wants to learn from the test launches before making it more widely available.
Before the launch of the Big Arch, McDonald’s largest hamburger was the Quarter Pounder, which is comparable in size to Burger King’s Whopper.
In December, the company’s CEO Chris Kempczinski said the planned larger burger wouldn’t be expensive: “We think we can deliver a delicious big burger for a much better price than what customers can get elsewhere.”
While both burgers consist of patties that weigh 4 ounces before cooking, the Whopper contains 670 calories, while the McDonald’s Quarter Pounder with cheese contains only 520 calories.
Fast food restaurants in California have raised their menu prices in recent months after the state raised the minimum wage for people working in the industry to $20 an hour.
McDonald’s has experimented with bigger burgers before, but by offering larger versions of their current offerings.
In January, the Double Big Mac — which has four beef patties instead of two and extra sauce — returned for a limited time. It cost about $7 and was a hit when it was on sale for a month.
McDonald’s has also begun rolling out CosMc, a spinoff focused more on coffee and beverages than food, reportedly inspired by Starbucks. It was so busy that cars lined up for hours when it first opened.
The first is in Bolingbrook, Illinois. Nine more will launch by the end of 2024, including one in Dallas-Fort Worth and another in San Antonio.
McDonald’s new, larger hamburger is part of a plan to attract customers back.
The chain on Monday reported a surprise drop in sales in the April-June quarter as customers made fewer trips to the fast-food giant.
McDonald’s first announced plans to introduce the Big Arch at its annual investor meeting in December 2023, in response to overwhelming customer demand for heartier burgers that are both flavorful and affordable.
This long-awaited addition was originally tested in a number of countries, but is now available in a number of countries, including Canada and Portugal.
Americans placed fewer orders than a year ago, meaning sales fell by almost 1 percent. Global sales fell by a similar amount.
The Chicago-based burger giant introduced a $5 meal deal at U.S. restaurants on June 25 — a McChicken or McDouble, four pieces of chicken nuggets, fries and a drink — as part of its plan to lure back budget-conscious customers.
That offer was only in effect for about a week in the financial reporting period, so its effects won’t be visible until next quarter.
All over the world, chains are struggling with declining customer numbers. Americans are fed up with price increases over the past two years and are therefore staying away. That is why they are launching all kinds of promotions.
Burger King’s $5 Your Way Meal – with four items like McDonald’s – was the first to appear in restaurants in June.
Wendy’s has a breakfast deal for $3 and also a four-course meal for $5, similar to McDonald’s and BK’s.
Starbucks also made a surprise entry into the value-for-money space with a coffee and breakfast combo starting at $5.