McDonald’s phasing out premium Signature Crafted burgersMcDonald’s phasing out premium Signature Crafted burgers

McDonald’s menu is going on another diet.

Following a recent announcement that it is trimming its late-night menu offerings, McDonald’s Corp. said Wednesday that it will also be phasing out its premium burger line, Signature Crafted Recipes, from the national menu based on customer feedback.

The Chicago-based chain, which has made several attempts to improve the quality of its menu, said its revamped lineup of fresh beef Quarter Pounder burgers will, instead, bring “customers more of the craveable, customizable and delicious tastes they love.”

“Our customers have said they love our fresh beef,” the company said in a brief statement released Wednesday. “With our new Quarter Pounder Deluxe and Quarter Pounder Bacon, we’ve introduced even more ways to enjoy the classic burger toppings they know and love, now on the fresh beef Quarter Pound patty. Based on their feedback, we’ll move away from the Signature Crafted Recipes line on our national menu.”

The company could not be reached immediately for further comment.

The Signature Crafted line had many iterations over the years as McDonald’s made a push to create custom burgers for guests using premium ingredients. In early testing, the burgers were called Chef Crafted or Taste Crafted.

 “Customization was the trend five years ago, but today consumers are more focused around transparency and what’s in their food,” said Tim Powell, a senior restaurant analyst at Q1 Consulting in Chicago. “It makes sense for McDonald’s to cut the Signature line and reduce SKUs [stock keeping units] for franchisees and focus on what their customers are asking for – fresher food.”

Since Steve Easterbrook became CEO at McDonald’s in early 2015, McDonald’s has made several moves to improve its menu. The company has added all-day breakfast, introduced a Signature Crafted Recipe line of burgers, added table service and introduced fresh-never-frozen, beef patties to its legacy Quarter Pounder sandwich. The fresh beef has been available with Quarter Pounder, Quarter Pounder with Cheese, Double Quarter Pounder and Signature Crafted Recipe burgers.

Earlier this year, the company introduced two other Quarter Pounder options: The Quarter Pounder Bacon, which includes three pieces of applewood-smoked bacon; and the Quarter Pounder with Cheese Deluxe, which is topped with lettuce, onions, Roma tomato slices and two slices of cheese.

“Our fresh new Quarter Pounder lineup brings customers more of the craveable, customizable and delicious tastes they love,” the company said.

McDonald’s has about 14,000 restaurants in the U.S.

Contact Nancy Luna at [email protected]

Follow her on Twitter: @FastFoodMaven