McDonald's is reportedly considering the development of a larger burger to meet the demands of its customers.
The chain hinted at this possibility on Wednesday and later confirmed that they were indeed exploring the idea. This new burger could potentially be larger than Burger King's Whopper.
While McDonald's did not provide a specific timeline for the release of the larger burger, it did mention that it would be introduced "soon" in certain markets before expanding its availability "across the globe."
"In the US, in many markets around the world, having a larger burger is an opportunity," its CEO, Chris Kempczinski, told CNN Business. "We're working on that. That is something that you should expect in the future."
However, he claimed that the larger burger won't be too expensive: "We believe we will be able to provide customers with a large burger that tastes amazing and is better value than anything they can get elsewhere."
McDonald's plans to introduce a new burger range, focusing on its Quarter Pounder, a single-patty burger that competes with Burger King's Whopper.
The Whopper has 670 calories, while the McDonald's Quarter Pounder with cheese has 520 calories.
The decision to develop a larger burger stems from listening to customer feedback and understanding their desire for bigger, high-quality burgers that provide a satisfying experience, according to Jo Sempels.
McDonald's also revealed plans to open approximately 10,000 new restaurants worldwide in the next three years or so.
This expansion would significantly increase its current count of around 41,000 restaurants as of September. The goal is to reach a total of 50,000 McDonald's locations globally by 2027.
Manu Steijaert, McDonald's global chief customer officer, acknowledged that with McDonald's already being a large and well-established brand, some might question if there is room for further expansion.
Steijaert emphasized that McDonald's sees a tremendous opportunity to grow the business by increasing the number of restaurant locations.
During the investor event, McDonald's announced its plans to open its first CosMc location, a spinoff concept that concentrates on coffee and beverages rather than food.
This move appears to be inspired by Starbucks and aims to tap into the growing demand for coffee-focused establishments.
The first CosMc location is set to open in Bolingbrook, Illinois, marking the debut of this new concept. McDonald's also revealed its intention to launch nine additional CosMc locations by the end of 2024. Among these, one is planned for the Dallas-Fort Worth area, while another is slated for San Antonio.
