Few McDonald’s menu items are as hefty as the Big Mac, with its stack of two beef patties, cheese, lettuce, onions, special sauce, and pickles on a triple-tiered sesame seed bun. But an exciting new burger coming to the fast-food chain will likely rival the formidable Big Mac in size.
McDonald’s has been working to create a burger that’s larger, more satiating, and provides great value to customers. Chain executives first unveiled their bigger burger plans during an investor meeting in December 2023, saying they wanted to pilot an extra-large sandwich in a few of its global markets in 2024 before potentially rolling it out internationally.
“We think we’re going to be able to deliver a great tasting large burger at a superior value to what [customers] can get anywhere else,” the chain’s CEO, Chris Kempczinski, told CNN at the time.
McDonald’s has kept the specifics of the new burger under wraps in the months since it was first announced. But finally, during a July 29 earnings call, the company unveiled several exciting details about the highly-anticipated burger.
Officially dubbed the “Big Arch,” the large McDonald’s burger will feature two beef patties “perfectly layered with melting cheese, crispy toppings, and a tangy McDonald’s sauce,” Senior Vice President Mike Cieplak said.
“It’s a quintessential McDonald’s burger with a twist on our iconic, familiar flavors.”
Cieplak said they’re piloting the Big Arch in three international markets this year but didn’t reveal which ones. McDonald’s plans to learn from these test runs before eventually rolling out the burger on a wider basis, he added. So, customers worldwide should keep their eyes peeled throughout the rest of 2024 just in case the Big Arch hits the menu at a restaurant near them.
In the meantime, McDonald’s customers should watch out for several other exciting new options that recently debuted at the burger giant. The chain dropped a brand-new Kit Kat Banana Split McFlurry (540 calories) earlier this month, as well as brought back the Smoky BLT Quarter Pounder with Cheese (680 calories) that first launched in 2022. Both new offerings will only be available for a limited time and while supplies last.
Many McDonald’s franchisees also recently extended the chain’s limited-time $5 Meal Deal, which became an immediate hit after it was introduced in late June. The bundle comes with a 4-piece order of Chicken McNuggets (170 calories), fries (230 calories per small order), a drink, and the customer’s choice of either a McChicken (400 calories) sandwich or a McDouble (400 calories).
Zoe Strozewski
Zoe Strozewski is a News Writer for Eat This, Not That! A Chicago native who now lives in New Jersey, she graduated from Kean University in 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. Read more about Zoe
