McDonald’s switches to fresh beef in 8 marketsMcDonald’s switches to fresh beef in 8 markets

McDonald’s Corp. has switched to fresh, cooked-to-order beef in Quarter Pounders and Signature Crafted Recipe burgers in 3,500 restaurants, the company said Tuesday, and the contiguous U.S. system should have fresh beef by early May.

The Oak Brook, Ill.-based quick-service operator said the fresh beef rollout, first announced last March, is complete in Atlanta; Charlotte, N.C.; Memphis, Tenn.; Miami; Nashville, Tenn.; Orlando, Fla.; Raleigh, N.C.; and Salt Lake City.

Over the next month, McDonald’s will add Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle.

“The switch to fresh beef quarter-pound burgers is the most significant change to our system and restaurant operations since all-day breakfast,” Chris Kempczinski, McDonald’s USA president, said in a statement.

McDonald’s introduced a limited all-day breakfast menu in fall 2015 and expanded it in 2016.

“Over the past two years, we have been listening to our customers and evolving our business to build a better McDonald’s,” Kempczinski said. “We are proud to bring our customers a hotter and juicier quarter-pound burger at the speed and convenience they expect from us.”

In the test markets of Dallas and Tulsa, Okla., McDonald’s reported 90 percent satisfaction from customers and 90 percent intent to repurchase.

The fresh beef — which has no fillers, additives or preservatives — is available with Quarter Pounder, Quarter Pounder with Cheese, Double Quarter Pounder and Signature Crafted Recipe burgers.

McDonald’s will also add new options to its Signature Crafted Recipe sandwich line, such as Garlic White Cheddar in April.

The Signature Garlic White Cheddar sandwich will be available with a quarter-pound beef patty or chicken, either Buttermilk Crispy or Artisan Grilled. The sandwich will feature garlic aioli and crispy garlic chips with tomato, iceberg lettuce and real white cheddar cheese on an artisan roll.

Other new Signature Crafted Recipe sandwiches are expected to debut later this year, the company said.

McDonald’s has about 14,000 restaurants in the United States and more than 37,000 locations worldwide in more than 100 countries.

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