McDonald’s launches ‘Best Burger’ ahead of earnings report

McDonald’s has upgraded its burgers — but it’s unclear if its sales will get the same boost.

The fast-food giant has outperformed its rivals in recent quarters, helped by price hikes across its menu and higher-income customers trading down to its McNuggets and Big Macs. Still, McDonald’s U.S. traffic dipped in the third quarter as low-income diners cut back their visits.

When the company announces its fourth-quarter results Monday morning, analysts are expecting U.S. same-store sales growth of just 4.4%, according to StreetAccount estimates. That’s an obvious lag compared with the third quarter’s 8.1% U.S. same-store sales growth.

McDonald’s and rival fast-food chains will face pressure to grow traffic this year. Diners won’t stomach the double-digit price hikes that fueled last year’s sales. Instead, chains have to convince their customers that their food and drinks are worth their prices — and more frequent visits.

Enter McDonald’s “Best Burger” initiative: small tweaks to the chain’s burgers that create a noticeably more flavorful product.

“Our goal was to enhance the quality and the flavor and the overall eating experience of our core burgers, but we wanted to stay true to the tastes that everyone loves,” McDonald’s U.S. Chief Restaurant Officer Mason Smoot said at a media event on Monday.

McDonald’s didn’t change the beef patty itself, but rather the cooking and assembly processes. The grills give the patties a little more breathing room as they cook. For more flavor, only six are cooked at a time, down from eight.

Onions, too, are added before the patties are cooked so they can soak up the patty’s juices. The cooked patties are kept hotter, so the overall burger is still warm by the time it reaches the customer. The cheese is melted better, the buns are upgraded and Big Macs receive more of their special sauce.

“This is a step in the right direction for improving some of their very core products, but staying very true to who they are as well,” said analyst Mark Kalinowski, CEO of Kalinowski Equity Research.

McDonald’s started rolling out the better-tasting burgers roughly a year ago, but it has finally launched them at all locations nationwide.

Some of the company’s most important international markets, such as Australia and Canada, have already implemented “Best Burger.” Australia and Canada have outperformed some of McDonald’s other big international markets, which can be at least partially chalked up to the burger improvements, Kalinowski said.

At McDonald’s investor day in December, CEO Chris Kempczinski said “Best Burger” was on track to hit 70 markets by the end of 2023. By the time 2026 wraps up, the company expects nearly all of its markets to serve the upgraded burgers.

“With…