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[XiaNaphryz]

http://nrn.com/quick-service/mcdonald-s-tests-fresh-beef-dallas

McDonald’s Corp. is testing Quarter Pounders made with fresh beef in Dallas, rather than frozen, which could foretell one of the biggest shifts in product specifications in the chain’s history.

The Oak Brook, Ill.-based burger giant confirmed the test on Thursday, saying in an email statement that the test is taking place at 14 locations. Yet it’s too early to tell whether the test could be expanded on a broader scale.

The test is limited to burgers made with quarter-pound patties, including the Quarter Pounder with Cheese, Homestyle Burger, Bacon Clubhouse Burger and the Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese.

"Like all of our tests, this one too is designed to see what works and what doesn’t within our restaurants by considering the operational experience, customer response, price points and other important information, which may inform future decisions,” McDonald’s spokeswoman Lisa McComb said in the email. “It’s very premature to draw any conclusions from this test.”

Still, the fresh beef test is perhaps the clearest sign yet that McDonald’s, under CEO Steve Easterbrook, as well as McDonald’s USA president Mike Andres, is looking under every rock in its bid to reinvigorate consistent sales growth after a three-year slide.

Fresh beef would be a massive change for McDonald’s. The chain’s entire system is based on the use of frozen burger patties. So switching to fresh beef, even for some of its burgers, would be a major undertaking both at the restaurant and the supply-chain levels.

 

[Smellycat]

Wendy's does this, right?

 

[XiaNaphryz]

Wendy's does this, right?

Yes, as does In-N-Out.

 

[Cabbagehead]

Wtf, why do they have to "test" something all natural. As other restaurants can do this without trouble, ridiculous...

 

[RoninChaos]

Yeah they do.

I can't remember the last time I had a quarter pounder. They used to be good but then they got nasty. Not sure when the change happened. But I don't mind a double cheese burger. I don't know what it is but the quarter pounders are just... ugh.

 

[WedgeX]

Wtf, why do they have to "test" something all natural. As other restaurants can do this without trouble, ridiculous...

Supply chain wise. There are 14 000 stores. Changing over their supply chain requires testing to find out if they can continually supply fresh beef on a regular basis compared to frozen beef that can be stored for longer periods and requires less supply runs. Potentially.

 

[UraMallas]

Wtf, why do they have to "test" something all natural. As other restaurants can do this without trouble, ridiculous...

Not sure if serious. It would be a logistic undertaking that some small nations couldn't accomplish.

 

[Bubble Metropolis]

Wtf, why do they have to "test" something all natural. As other restaurants can do this without trouble, ridiculous...

Aside from the logistics of the change, people don't go to McDonald's for "all natural" and their clientele might either not notice the costly upgrade to all natural or, worse, not like it.

 

[Gaming Truth]

What does it matter if it's fresh or frozen if they both still end up in those reheating trays for hours on end?

 

[neoanarch]

I'll test it out this weekend and report back. Is there a list of the locations?

 

[Kevtones]

I don't eat meat but for some reason I want to go to McDonald's

 

[Iksenpets]

Wtf, why do they have to "test" something all natural. As other restaurants can do this without trouble, ridiculous...

If your whole supply chain is built around freezers, switching to the sort of constant, quick deliveries you'd need for fresh is a huge undertaking. And once you're doing fresh, you have to be really accurate about estimating how much beef you'll need, because any that goes unused goes to waste, which in the case of a company as big as McDonalds, could be millions of dollars wasted. And then their consumers may just not care about the difference. No need to make the change of it turns out not to boost sales at all

 

[otapnam]

If your whole supply chain is built around freezers, switching to the sort of constant, quick deliveries you'd need for fresh is a huge undertaking. And once you're doing fresh, you have to be really accurate about estimating how much beef you'll need, because any that goes unused goes to waste, which in the case of a company as big as McDonalds, could be millions of dollars wasted. And then their consumers may just not care about the difference. No need to make the change of it turns out not to boost sales at all

Proper storage and handling are gonna be huge. Would love to see a research article on a company attempting a change this huge.

 

[ISOM]

Wtf, why do they have to "test" something all natural. As other restaurants can do this without trouble, ridiculous...

If you even decided to read the OP, he highlighted why it's such a big deal.

 

[NimbusD]

I'd only ever go back there if they brought back the mushroom angus beef burger. I loved that thing.

 

[JMTHEFOX]

Hopefully their fresh beef won't give me diarrhea like Wendy's does. Those burgers gave me so much diarrhea when I was younger, I mostly have their sides.

 

[XiaNaphryz]

Proper storage and handling are gonna be huge. Would love to see a research article on a company attempting a change this huge.

If they decide to go national with this idea, I'm sure it won't be a cheap change.

 

[ElectricBlanketFire]

Hopefully their fresh beef won't give me diarrhea like Wendy's does. Those burgers gave me so much diarrhea when I was younger, I mostly have their sides.

Please see your doctor.

 

[Kyuur]

Wendy's burgers are fantastic comparatively; if McDonalds Canada adopted this I might actually buy non-McDouble burgers from them.

 

[AP90]

Wendy's does this, right?

Yes, as does In-N-Out.

And they taste way better for it IMO.
I think this is a good thing. Maybe this will help spurr demand for getting meat from local vendors/farms?

 

[Flo_Evans]

Do people eating at mcdonalds give a shit? (I had a quarter pounder for lunch).

Like I can sort of tell when meat has been frozen, but if I am just grabbing a quick burger from fast food who gives a shit. Seems the the cost benefit ratio for this would be insanely dumb.

The biggest issue you get with mcdonalds is how long ago they "cooked" it, not that it has ever been frozen.

 

[kirblar]

Do people eating at mcdonalds give a shit? (I had a quarter pounder for lunch).

Like I can sort of tell when meat has been frozen, but if I am just grabbing a quick burger from fast food who gives a shit. Seems the the cost benefit ratio for this would be insanely dumb.

The biggest issue you get with mcdonalds is how long ago they "cooked" it, not that it has ever been frozen.

The McDouble kinda makes all other burgers pointless imo.

 

[blackflag]

Well, this wouldn't bring me back. Fresh or not there's still habit burger, innout, Five guys, and Smashburger all in a 3 mile radius of my house. The burgers being frozen is the least of their issues.

 

[Jakeh111]

What a time to be alive.

 

[BoosterDuck]

oh god, I need to stay away from McDonalds for awhile or I'll end up barfing food

 

[DarknessTear]

If they can somehow make their beef taste as good as Wendy's, I'm all for it. I always need a good excuse to grab their fries.

 

[Liberty4all]

The only Burger at McDonalds I ever buy is a McDouble. It's a struggle lunch and I try to do so rarely. Ironically I stumbled onto this thread while eating a McDouble.

 

[D4Danger]

what have people got against freezing? surely at that scale it's better to process the meat and preserve it as quickly as possible instead of having it standing around until use.

 

[ColdPizza]

Yes, as does In-N-Out.

That's part of the reason In-N-Out hasn't expanded like McDonald's has. In order to supply each of their restaurants with fresh beef they need their supply chain within a certain amount of time/miles.

This would be a huge undertaking for a McDonald's.

 

[Stinkles]

Hopefully their fresh beef won't give me diarrhea like Wendy's does. Those burgers gave me so much diarrhea when I was younger, I mostly have their sides.

Gaf Bowel Syndrome.

what have people got against freezing? surely at that scale it's better to process the meat and preserve it as quickly as possible instead of having it standing around until use.

Crystals form in the meat - water expands as it freezes and ruptures cells and changes the taste and texture significantly.

I literally can tell the difference between fresh meat burps and previously frozen meat burps even when I have no idea how the near was prepared.

 

[ThisGuy]

I would actually go more often (if it tastes better). As it stand now I go 2~3 time a month.

 

[davepoobond]

Idk. I'm not really going to McDonald's for an amazing burger, just a quick meal

It's probably just going to increase the prices and not taste as good as in n out or whatever.

 

[Shy Fingers]

I would actually go more often (if it tastes better). As it stand now I go 2~3 time a month.

You say that like 2-3 times a month is a small amount

 

[Snkfanatic]

I would actually go more often (if it tastes better). As it stand now I go 2~3 time a month.

That's pretty frequent honestly.

 

[Azuran]

Please see your doctor.

Nobody on GAF does that.

 

[Kyuur]

That's pretty frequent honestly.

You say that like 2-3 times a month is a small amount

It is a small amount. Plenty of people eat out daily at places like this.

 

[Flo_Evans]

It is a small amount. Plenty of people eat out daily at places like this.

lol I was just gonna say I eat fast food 2-3 times a week.

 

[Doug Heffernan]

This might spell the end for Wendy's. Fresh beef is their only hook.

 

[The Argus]

This might spell the end for Wendy's. Fresh beef is their only hook.

Purely marketing. Almost all beef in the US is frozen at the butcher and distributor. They just have them prethawed at the restaurants. I doubt McDonald's switching to this from their little hockey pucks will kill Wendy's. Also Spicy Chicken 4 life.

 

[DOWN]

Wtf, why do they have to "test" something all natural. As other restaurants can do this without trouble, ridiculous...

McDonald's is the biggest. They can't just say "do it" without lots of plans and payoff.

Purely marketing. Almost all beef in the US is frozen at the butcher and distributor. They just have them prethawed at the restaurants. I doubt McDonald's switching to this from their little hockey pucks will kill Wendy's. Also Spicy Chicken 4 life.

False. Wendy's never freezes the beef. It literally has to never be frozen or else it wouldn't be legally advertised as never frozen.

 

[SexyFish]

This might spell the end for Wendy's. Fresh beef is their only hook.

McDonald's doesn't have spicy nuggets and creamy sriracha sauce. Wendy's 4 lyfe.

 

[ch4fx_]

McDonald's doesn't have spicy nuggets and creamy sriracha sauce. Wendy's 4 lyfe.

Not to mention, their (Wendy's) chili cheese fries are AMAZING & anytime I think of a spicy chicken sandwich, Wendy's comes to mind.

Why hasn't McDonald's jumped on the chili cheese fry craze yet? Did I miss that promotion or something? While I'm not the biggest fan of McDonald's, I have to admit their fries covered in chili & cheese sound delicious.

 

[TurtleSnatcher]

Dallas is also testing the "Grand Mac" and the "Mac Jr"

Grand Mac is a Whopper or larger sized version of a Big Mac.

Mac Jr is a smaller sized Big Mac.


I had a Grand Mac last week. It was glorious. Felt like the old Big Macs from the early 90s before they made them smaller.

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1208274&highlight=grand+mac

Oh nm.. already known